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Latest film news, reviews, comment and analysis from the Guardianen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:49:03 GMT2015-03-03T22:49:03Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015The Guardianhttp://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttp://www.theguardian.com
The blockbuster's in decline – here's how to save ithttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/marvel-us-box-office-decline-blockbusters
<p>More than 25 superhero movies in the next four years could spell troubled times for the US box office. How can the studios avoid fatiguing film-goers?</p><p>With every new Marvel announcement (the latest of which is due on 5 March), a combination of excitement and resignation hits. While the Disney-owned studio has a habit of producing superhero films that fly a little higher than the rest, there are only so many costumed crimefighters we can bear to see on the big screen.</p><p>Do we really need 11 Marvel films in the next four years, which, added to the other superhero offerings on the horizon, makes more than 25 in total? </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/27/birdman-wrong-about-movie-superheroes">Birdman got it wrong: serious actors love playing superheroes</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/19/the-hunger-games-mockingjays-bombed-out-dystopia-is-all-too-familiar-it-could-be-syria-gaza-or-iraq">The Hunger Games: Mockingjay's bombed-out dystopia is all too familiar | Suzanne Moore</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/06/week-in-geek-2015-most-exciting-sci-fi-fantasy-films-jurassic-world-star-wars">Our pick of 2015's most exciting sci-fi and fantasy films</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2015/feb/10/can-marvel-save-spider-man-from-web-of-sequels-captain-america-3">Can Marvel save Spider-Man from his tangled web of sequels?</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/marvel-us-box-office-decline-blockbusters">Continue reading...</a>FilmAction and adventureGuardians of the GalaxyAvengers: Age of UltronFilm industryCultureChris PrattThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1The Hunger GamesJennifer LawrenceSpider-ManThe Amazing Spider-Man 2MarvelStar Wars: The Force AwakensTue, 03 Mar 2015 16:00:42 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/marvel-us-box-office-decline-blockbustersBenjamin Lee2015-03-03T16:00:42ZFirst look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Edward Snowden in Oliver Stone dramahttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/joseph-gordon-levitt-edward-snowden-nsa-oliver-stone
<p>Get a first look at the Looper star as the NSA whistleblower in the Oscar-buzzed biopic<br></p><p>While this year’s Oscars have only just passed, 2016’s ceremony is a mere 12 months away and some early favourites are starting to be unveiled. Last week gave us <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/eddie-redmayne-transgender-lili-elbe-first-picture-danish-girl">a first look at Eddie Redmayne in Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl</a> and now, we have a newly released still from Oliver Stone’s hotly tipped Snowden.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/oscars-2016-and-next-years-awards-will-go-to-">Oscars 2016: and next year's awards will go to …</a> </p><p>First day of shooting on Oliver Stone's &quot;SNOWDEN.&quot; PHOTO: <a href="http://t.co/T59wO5XJOb">http://t.co/T59wO5XJOb</a> <a href="http://t.co/Ubyp5a7cWj">pic.twitter.com/Ubyp5a7cWj</a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/joseph-gordon-levitt-edward-snowden-nsa-oliver-stone">Continue reading...</a>Oliver StoneFilmEdward SnowdenCultureJoseph Gordon-LevittZachary QuintoNicolas CageMelissa LeoShailene WoodleyTue, 03 Mar 2015 15:58:18 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/joseph-gordon-levitt-edward-snowden-nsa-oliver-stoneBenjamin Lee2015-03-03T15:58:18ZAge before bondage: Second Best Marigold Hotel dominates Fifty Shadeshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/second-best-marigold-hotel-fifty-shades-focus-boy-next-door
<p>Good-natured sequel sits on FSoG this week at the UK box office, while Will Smith can’t quite see to the top with Focus<br></p><p><strong>The winner</strong><br /></p><p>Following two weeks at the top spot, Fifty Shades of Grey cedes its place to a film that could hardly be more different: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Having said that, most would agree that it is female cinemagoers that are driving the audience for both these literature-originating franchises.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/global-box-office-fifty-shades-of-grey-dragon-blade-the-interview">Fifty Shades's 73% week-on-week drop suggests it won't rival Avatar's record</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/second-best-marigold-hotel-fifty-shades-focus-boy-next-door">Continue reading...</a>FilmFifty Shades of GreyThe Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelThe Boy Next DoorIt FollowsCatch Me DaddyWhite GodWill SmithShaun the Sheep the MovieBig Hero 6Kingsman: The Secret ServiceThe Theory of EverythingCultureTue, 03 Mar 2015 13:39:31 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/second-best-marigold-hotel-fifty-shades-focus-boy-next-doorCharles Gant2015-03-03T13:39:31ZZachary Quinto: Leonard Nimoy was like a father to mehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/zachary-quinto-leonard-nimoy-was-like-a-father-to-me
<p>Leonard Nimoy helped his replacement as Spock deal with the pressure of stepping into an iconic role. But Quinto remembers how a professional relationship soon developed into a close friendship</p><p>I first met Leonard Nimoy in 2007 at the Comic-Con conference in San Diego where it was announced I would be <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/may/04/zachary-quinto-spock-interview">taking over the role of Spock</a>. I was really excited to meet him and hopeful he would support me stepping into it. I never imagined how our meetings about the character would evolve into a very profound friendship.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/may/04/zachary-quinto-spock-interview">Zachary Quinto: 'Playing Spock was about cultivating an inner life'</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/feb/27/leonard-nimoy-spock-star-trek-career-appreciation">How Leonard Nimoy grew to love Spock as much as we did</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2015/feb/27/leonard-nimoy-a-life-in-pictures">Leonard Nimoy – a life in pictures</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/zachary-quinto-leonard-nimoy-was-like-a-father-to-me">Continue reading...</a>Zachary QuintoLeonard NimoyStar TrekScience fiction and fantasyFilmCultureTue, 03 Mar 2015 12:25:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/zachary-quinto-leonard-nimoy-was-like-a-father-to-meZachary Quinto, as told to Rory Carroll2015-03-03T12:25:08ZNeill Blomkamp on Chappie: 'The planet is a place of inhumane action' - video interviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/mar/03/neill-blomkamp-chappie-video-interview
District 9 director Neill Blomkamp talks to Ben Child about robotic sentience, destroying Johannesburg and putting guns in all his movies. Chappie, a science fiction thriller about a robot who learns violence after living in a state of childlike innocence, is released in the UK and US on Friday <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/mar/03/neill-blomkamp-chappie-video-interview">Continue reading...</a>ChappieFilmNeill BlomkampScience fiction and fantasyTue, 03 Mar 2015 10:45:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/mar/03/neill-blomkamp-chappie-video-interviewBen Child and Henry Barnes2015-03-03T10:45:06ZCA Lejeune: the pioneering female film critic who changed our view of cinemahttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2015/mar/02/ca-lajeune-changed-view-cinema-pioneering-film-critic
<p>The Guardian and Observer critic blazed a trail for female reviewers – but today, the proportion of women writing about film is falling. What can we learn from this bracing, witty writer?</p><p>“The kinema must please the women or die,” thundered the Manchester Guardian’s weekly film column in 1926. Back then, cinema audiences were largely female, but film-makers largely male. “She is no fool, this woman, no sluggard in criticism”, wrote the critic, appalled at an industry utterly mistaking what mothers and housewives wanted to see at the cinema. “[She is] the first to notice the inconsistencies of a production, the bad workmanship, the flaws in thought, she has no illusions about her screen friends and their quality.”</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2015/mar/02/ca-lajeune-changed-view-cinema-pioneering-film-critic">Continue reading...</a>Film criticismWomenLife and styleFilmCultureMediaMon, 02 Mar 2015 19:02:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2015/mar/02/ca-lajeune-changed-view-cinema-pioneering-film-criticPamela Hutchinson2015-03-02T19:02:00ZEddie Redmayne invited to cameo on Neighbours after praising stars of showhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/eddie-redmayne-cameo-neighbours-karl-susan-kennedy
<p>Oscar winner calls actors who play Karl and Susan Kennedy ‘the greatest unsung acting duo in history’</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/halle-berry-oscar-winner-interview">Halle Berry: ‘If an Oscar winner tells you they can pick out hits, they’re lying!’</a> </p><p>After winning an Oscar, actors are given a rather short amount of time to utilise their moment in the spotlight and make some prime decisions as to what to work on next. Just ask Halle Berry. While it’s been pretty quiet so far from Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette and JK Simmons, best actor winner Eddie Redmayne has been difficult to avoid.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/06/harold-from-neighbours-wants-a-good-movie-role-before-he-dies-write-him-one">Harold from Neighbours wants a good movie role before he dies. Write him one</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/eddie-redmayne-cameo-neighbours-karl-susan-kennedy">Continue reading...</a>Eddie RedmayneFilmTelevisionCultureNeighboursOscars 2015Soap operaTelevision & radioDramaTue, 03 Mar 2015 10:00:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/eddie-redmayne-cameo-neighbours-karl-susan-kennedyBenjamin Lee2015-03-03T10:00:14ZHow well do you know these 80s remakes? – quizhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/quiz/2015/mar/03/film-quiz-80s-remakes
With <a href="http://deadline.com/2015/02/robert-townsend-re-counting-brewsters-millions-1201383077/">Brewster's Millions now joining the seemingly endless list of 80s films heading for a remake</a>, here's your chance to put your childhood-pillaging anger aside for a few minutes and show how much you know about other 'reimaginings' from the era <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/quiz/2015/mar/03/film-quiz-80s-remakes">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureTue, 03 Mar 2015 09:24:59 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/quiz/2015/mar/03/film-quiz-80s-remakesBenjamin Lee2015-03-03T09:24:59ZThe film that makes me cry: Babehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/mar/03/the-film-that-makes-me-cry-babe
<p>Babe charts the rise of a cute orphaned piglet who is polite to sheep and befriends a surly farmer. It also encapsulates themes of social isolation and animal cruelty. Eleanor Ross tells us why she finds Babe so traumatising</p><p>As an adult, I had it pointed out to me by my mother that Babe – held up as the “cutesy” film of the 1990s – was actually pretty mean, encapsulating as it did themes of social isolation, animal cruelty and victimisation: no wonder I’m left traumatised every time I watch it.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/mar/02/the-film-that-makes-me-cry-the-diving-bell-and-the-butterfly">The film that makes me cry: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly | Peter Bradshaw</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/mar/03/the-film-that-makes-me-cry-babe">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureAnimalsTue, 03 Mar 2015 08:32:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/mar/03/the-film-that-makes-me-cry-babeEleanor Ross2015-03-03T08:32:00ZChinese box office beats US monthly total for first timehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/chinese-box-office-biggest-world-february
<p>Record-breaking number in China makes it the biggest market for movies in February</p><p>Box office revenue in China hit an all-time high in February with a mammoth $650m total, beating both the Chinese monthly record and the US figure for the same period.</p><p>While the north American equivalent was initially $710m for a month which saw the release of erotic smash Fifty Shades of Grey, once Canada’s input was stripped away, the number was down to just $640m. </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/focus-will-smith-margot-robbie-kingsman-fifty-shades">Out of Focus: low turnout to Will Smith movie – but film still tops US box office</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/chinese-box-office-biggest-world-february">Continue reading...</a>Film industryFilmChinaCultureAsia PacificThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five ArmiesThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1John CusackAdrien BrodyJackie ChanMon, 02 Mar 2015 15:04:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/chinese-box-office-biggest-world-februaryBenjamin Lee2015-03-02T15:04:20ZJulianne Moore on Still Alice: 'The idea our inner self could be taken away is very frightening' - video interviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/mar/02/julianne-moore-still-alice-video-interview
Julianne Moore, star of Still Alice, talks to Catherine Shoard about playing a character with early-onset Alzheimer's. The actor explains how talking to people with the disease helped shape her Oscar-winning portrayal of a university lecturer dealing with her diagnosis, calls for more funding and challenges the idea that Alzheimer's is an immediate death sentence. Still Alice is released in the UK on Friday <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/mar/02/julianne-moore-still-alice-video-interview">Continue reading...</a>Still AliceFilmJulianne MooreDramaAlzheimer'sMon, 02 Mar 2015 12:52:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/mar/02/julianne-moore-still-alice-video-interviewCatherine Shoard and Paul Frankl2015-03-02T12:52:00ZNetflix buys Oscar-tipped Idris Elba drama Beasts of No Nation for $12mhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/netflix-idris-elba-beasts-of-no-nation-film
<p>True Detective director Cary Fukunaga’s latest film gives streaming platform their biggest title yet</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/netflix-idris-elba-beasts-of-no-nation-film">Continue reading...</a>FilmNetflixIdris ElbaCultureTechnologyAfricaWar filmsUS newsWorld newsTrue DetectiveTelevision & radioMediaTue, 03 Mar 2015 16:34:27 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/netflix-idris-elba-beasts-of-no-nation-filmBenjamin Lee2015-03-03T16:34:27ZInto the groove: Madonna screens Whiplash for her childrenhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/madonna-screens-whiplash-children
<p>Singer says children were ‘mesmerised’ and ‘speechless’ at the violent Oscar-winning jazz drama – in the week she actually suffered whiplash from her Brits tumble</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/madonna-screens-whiplash-children">Continue reading...</a>WhiplashFilmMadonnaMusicCultureTue, 03 Mar 2015 10:52:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/madonna-screens-whiplash-childrenBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-03-03T10:52:12ZSteven Spielberg to direct Jennifer Lawrence in war photographer biopichttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/steven-spielberg-jennifer-lawrence-war-photographer-lynsey-addario-its-what-i-do
<p>After a bidding war involving the likes of George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon and Darren Aronofsky, Warner Brothers has secured the film rights to Lynsey Addario’s war memoir It’s What I Do</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/steven-spielberg-jennifer-lawrence-war-photographer-lynsey-addario-its-what-i-do">Continue reading...</a>FilmSteven SpielbergJennifer LawrenceDramaWar filmsPhotographyCultureTue, 03 Mar 2015 09:59:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/steven-spielberg-jennifer-lawrence-war-photographer-lynsey-addario-its-what-i-doBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-03-03T09:59:50ZFifty Shades star Jamie Dornan in new wartime drama Anthropoidhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/fifty-shades-jamie-dornan-anthropoid
<p>Dornan to play a Czech soldier alongside Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy in film about 1942 assassination attempt on Reinhard Heydrich<br></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/fifty-shades-jamie-dornan-anthropoid">Continue reading...</a>FilmJamie DornanFifty Shades of GreyCultureCillian MurphyUK newsCzechoslovakiaWar filmsSecond world warMetro ManilaMon, 02 Mar 2015 14:16:47 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/fifty-shades-jamie-dornan-anthropoidAndrew Pulver2015-03-02T14:16:47ZDirector sues Cannes for rejecting his moviehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/director-sues-cannes-for-rejecting-his-movie
<p>French film-maker Paul Verhoeven (no relation) filed lawsuit claiming homophobia led festival to pass on his 2009 film Teenagers</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/director-sues-cannes-for-rejecting-his-movie">Continue reading...</a>Cannes film festivalCannes 2009FilmCultureLGBT rightsFestivalsFranceEuropeMon, 02 Mar 2015 10:42:29 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/director-sues-cannes-for-rejecting-his-movieBenjamin Lee2015-03-02T10:42:29ZOut of Focus: low turnout to Will Smith movie – but film still tops US box officehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/focus-will-smith-margot-robbie-kingsman-fifty-shades
<p>Fifty Shades ousted from top spot by under-performing crime caper, Kingsman continues its reign at No 2 while American Sniper and Still Alice enjoy post-Oscars bounce</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/focus-will-smith-margot-robbie-kingsman-fifty-shades">Continue reading...</a>Will SmithFilmKingsman: The Secret ServiceFifty Shades of GreyAmerican SniperStill AliceCultureFilm industryMon, 02 Mar 2015 10:09:48 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/focus-will-smith-margot-robbie-kingsman-fifty-shadesBen Child2015-03-02T10:09:48ZBruce Lee's daughter to develop new biopic of martial-arts iconhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/bruce-lee-daughter-shannon-develop-new-biopic
<p>Shannon Lee says that no film has yet ‘captured the essence of his beliefs in martial arts or storytelling’, and is to move forward with her own project</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/bruce-lee-daughter-shannon-develop-new-biopic">Continue reading...</a>Bruce LeeFilmBiopicsCultureMon, 02 Mar 2015 10:06:32 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/bruce-lee-daughter-shannon-develop-new-biopicBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-03-02T10:06:32ZLeonardo DiCaprio finding room for 24 characters in The Crowded Roomhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/leonardo-dicaprio-24-personalities-the-crowded-room
<p>Actor will star in biopic of Billy Milligan, a schizophrenic who successfully defended robbery and rape charges by arguing that the crimes were the work of two of his 24 personalities<br></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/leonardo-dicaprio-24-personalities-the-crowded-room">Continue reading...</a>Leonardo DiCaprioCultureFilmDramaUS newsWorld newsMon, 02 Mar 2015 09:06:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/leonardo-dicaprio-24-personalities-the-crowded-roomBen Child2015-03-02T09:06:45ZMichelle Rodriguez apologises for telling minorities to 'stop stealing white superheroes'http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/michelle-rodriguez-apologises-white-superheroes
<p>The Latino actor, known for her Fast and Furious roles, says her remarks were taken out of context, and reiterates that Hollywood needs new mythologies</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/michelle-rodriguez-apologises-white-superheroes">Continue reading...</a>FilmSuperhero moviesCultureMon, 02 Mar 2015 09:02:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/02/michelle-rodriguez-apologises-white-superheroesBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-03-02T09:02:45ZLupita Nyong'o Oscars gown returned after thieves discover pearls are fakehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/28/lupita-nyongo-oscars-gown-returned-after-thieves-discover-pearls-are-fake
<p>Dress taken from actor’s hotel had been said to be worth $150,000 – but that was when the world was being told the pearls were real<br></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/28/lupita-nyongo-oscars-gown-returned-after-thieves-discover-pearls-are-fake">Continue reading...</a>Lupita Nyong'oOscarsFilmAwards and prizesCultureUS newsWorld newsTMZDigital mediaMediaSat, 28 Feb 2015 01:35:59 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/28/lupita-nyongo-oscars-gown-returned-after-thieves-discover-pearls-are-fakeReuters in Los Angeles2015-02-28T01:35:59Z1,009-week run proves too short for fans of DDLJ Bollywood classichttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/27/protests-prompt-return-to-indian-cinema-of-film-that-ended-run-after-1009-weeks
<p>Spontaneous protests prompt Mumbai picture house to reverse decision to end screenings of popular romcom which it had been showing since 1995<br></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/27/protests-prompt-return-to-indian-cinema-of-film-that-ended-run-after-1009-weeks">Continue reading...</a>BollywoodIndiaFilmWorld newsCultureFri, 27 Feb 2015 16:19:40 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/27/protests-prompt-return-to-indian-cinema-of-film-that-ended-run-after-1009-weeksSharin Bhatti in Mumbai2015-02-27T16:19:40ZEddie Redmayne as transgender pioneer Lili Elbe – first picture releasedhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/eddie-redmayne-transgender-lili-elbe-first-picture-danish-girl
<p>First image of the Oscar-winning actor in The Danish Girl, the Tom Hooper-directed film about the transitioning of Einar Mogens Wegener in the 1930s</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/eddie-redmayne-transgender-lili-elbe-first-picture-danish-girl">Continue reading...</a>Eddie RedmayneTom HooperFilmFilm adaptationsCultureBooksTransgenderOscars 2015OscarsAwards and prizesFri, 27 Feb 2015 12:42:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/eddie-redmayne-transgender-lili-elbe-first-picture-danish-girlAndrew Pulver2015-02-27T12:42:10ZSeth MacFarlane hit with lawsuit over talking Ted bottle openerhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/seth-macfarlane-lawsuit-ted-merchandise
<p>The Ted and Family Guy creator is being sued by Michael Cram, who claims that a talking bottle opener that came with Ted DVDs is his invention</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/seth-macfarlane-lawsuit-ted-merchandise">Continue reading...</a>TedFilmSeth MacFarlaneComedyCultureFri, 27 Feb 2015 12:18:42 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/seth-macfarlane-lawsuit-ted-merchandiseBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-02-27T12:18:42ZHarrison Ford to star in Blade Runner sequelhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/blade-runner-sequel-confirmed-with-harrison-ford-returning
<p>Ford is set to reprise his lead role in the dystopian sci-fi film, but producer Ridley Scott may hand over the director’s reins to Denis Villeneuve</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/blade-runner-sequel-confirmed-with-harrison-ford-returning">Continue reading...</a>FilmBlade RunnerCultureRidley ScottHarrison FordFilm industryScience fiction and fantasyFri, 27 Feb 2015 11:43:26 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/blade-runner-sequel-confirmed-with-harrison-ford-returningMonica Tan2015-02-27T11:43:26ZElysium was not a good enough film, says directorhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/elysium-neill-blomkamp
<p>Neill Blomkamp has said that the script let down his 2013 movie starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/elysium-neill-blomkamp">Continue reading...</a>ElysiumNeill BlomkampFilmCultureFri, 27 Feb 2015 11:42:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/elysium-neill-blomkampBen Child2015-02-27T11:42:50ZLee Daniels expands on Mo'Nique 'blackballed' commentshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/lee-daniels-monique-blackballed-comments-precious
<p>Mo’Nique, the actor who won an Oscar for her supporting role in Precious, said the film’s director Lee Daniels told her she was ‘blackballed’ from Hollywood for not ‘playing the game’ – Daniels has now elaborated on the comments, while the actor denies being snubbed</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/lee-daniels-monique-blackballed-comments-precious">Continue reading...</a>FilmLee DanielsPreciousCultureTelevisionTelevision & radioFri, 27 Feb 2015 10:37:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/lee-daniels-monique-blackballed-comments-preciousBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-02-27T10:37:14ZThe Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel review – daft but good-natured sequelhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/the-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-review
It’s sentimental, silly and stereotypical, but this later-life comedy sequel grows on you, and the thespian firepower of Smith, Imrie, Nighy, Dench – and now Gere – is redoubtable<p>Considering the quality of most sequels, it was bold, or rash, to put the words “second best” in the title. But though still treacly, still exasperatingly sentimental and stereotypical, this follow-up to the first Exotic Marigold Hotel turns out to be rather better. By bringing back the story of Brit retirees at a chaotic Indian hotel, director John Madden and his writer, Ol Parker, have given it the air of an unassuming BBC1 sitcom that grows on you. It’s a daft, good-natured Arcadian comedy of late-life yearnings with the same formidable cast, plus some newcomers. Maggie Smith’s cockney accent is still unconvincing, but there’s no doubt that her screen presence and sheer thespian firepower lend heft to this film, especially in its final moments. And the love-story associated with Celia Imrie’s saucy character is concluded with unexpected subtlety. <br /></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/the-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-review">Continue reading...</a>The Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelFilmCultureDramaComedyJudi DenchRichard GereBill NighyMaggie SmithThu, 26 Feb 2015 20:59:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/the-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-reviewPeter Bradshaw2015-02-26T20:59:01ZFocus – fantastically boring caper with Will Smith on insufferably smug formhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/focus-review
There is no trace of the old Will Smith charm in this glossily mediocre con caper that is almost entirely free of anything or anyone to care about<p>What on earth happened to Will Smith?&nbsp;He could until recently trade on&nbsp;a certain amount of charm: I have a&nbsp;soft spot for his sentimental drama <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jan/12/willsmith.drama" title="">The Pursuit of Happyness</a> (2006) and he did a&nbsp;good job in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/feb/15/culture.peterbradshaw" title="">the almost impossible role of Muhammad Ali</a> for Michael Mann in 2001. But Smith is just insufferable in this fantastically boring caper about high-class con-trick artists: supercilious and smug, gliding through a glossily mediocre film on cruise control. It is written and directed by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (who made <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/sep/22/crazy-stupid-love-film-review" title="">Crazy, Stupid, Love</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/mar/18/i-love-you-phillip-morris-review" title="">I Love You Phillip Morris</a>), but without the flair&nbsp;or fun of those pictures. Smith is super-cool con artist Nicky, and Margot Robbie is Jess, the hot would-be grifter that he mentors and falls in love with. Or … is he just using her? Is she using him? With acting this terrible it’s difficult to tell. Or care. There’s none of&nbsp;the charm of Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven or the steel of Mamet’s House of Games. There is, however, some very tiresome stuff on subliminal suggestion that I remember being done more interestingly by <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/derren-brown" title="">Derren Brown</a>. It passes in a blur of dullness.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/focus-review">Continue reading...</a>CrimeThrillerFilmCultureWill SmithThu, 26 Feb 2015 22:00:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/focus-reviewPeter Bradshaw2015-02-26T22:00:02ZWhite God review – surreal dog-uprising thriller with bitehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/white-god-review-kornel-mundruczo
A psychotic outbreak affects all the dogs in Budapest in Kornél Mundruczó’s energetic and imaginative film<p>Korn&eacute;l Mundrucz&oacute;’s work has in the past been self-conscious, opaque and implausible. Well, implausibility is probably still an issue with his new film, but there has been a great leap forward in energy, flair and imagination. It’s a more arresting and entertaining movie than I ever expected from this director: a captivatingly bizarre quasi-horror thriller drama about a mass canine uprising in Budapest that could have been crafted by <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/alfredhitchcock" title="">Hitchcock</a> or <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/james-herbert" title="">James Herbert</a>. Lili is an unhappy little girl who has to go and live with her disagreeable dad when her parents split up. He hates her beloved labrador cross, Hagen, and chucks him out on the street. The animal is found and trained up as a fighting dog – a perversion of his gentle nature that eerily coincides with a general psychotic outbreak affecting all the dogs in the city. The chase scene involving them all is a masterpiece of animal choreography – achieved, evidently, without any digital trickery. This is an intriguingly deadpan, almost unclassifiable satire of power relations, a subversive reverie about the prosperous classes in any city and their fear of what lies beneath. Or perhaps it’s a parable of the resentment in all families, broken and unbroken – a resentment that sometimes can’t be brought to heel. Either way, this is a&nbsp;film with a rottweiler’s bite.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/white-god-review-kornel-mundruczo">Continue reading...</a>White GodThrillerHorrorDramaFilmCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 21:45:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/white-god-review-kornel-mundruczoPeter Bradshaw2015-02-26T21:45:02ZIt Follows review – sexual dread fuels a modern horror classichttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/it-follows-review-horror-sex-death
<p>David Robert Mitchell’s tale of a fatal curse that can only be transmitted to an unwitting lover taps into primal anxieties so effectively you can’t help but be traumatised</p><p>A friend confessed to me recently that this was the only film to have given him, in adult life, a proper wake-up-sweating nightmare. I don’t think I have ever had a nightmare quite as scary as this film – a modern classic of fear to be compared to something by a young Carpenter or De Palma.</p><p>It Follows is from the American director David Robert Mitchell, whose 2010 debut movie, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/139141/myth-of-the-american-sleepover">The Myth of the American Sleepover</a>, was a gentle, unthreatening drama about teens and platonic crushes. That was Dr Jekyll to the snarling Mr Hyde of this new one. It genuinely is disturbing.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/21/it-follows-teen-horror-movie">It Follows: ‘Love and sex are ways we can push death away’</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/it-follows-review-horror-sex-death">Continue reading...</a>It FollowsHorrorFilmCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 15:32:35 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/it-follows-review-horror-sex-deathPeter Bradshaw2015-02-26T15:32:35ZCatch Me Daddy review – big scenes and bold ideas in honour-killing dramahttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/catch-me-daddy-review-honour-killing
This flawed but ambitious film about a British Pakistani family who hire a posse of thugs to hunt down their errant daughter is a tough look at contemporary gender politics<p>Daniel Wolfe’s debut movie arrives in the UK <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/16/cannes-2014-catch-me-daddy-review">after its premiere at Cannes last year</a>: a tough drama about contemporary Britain’s tribal and gender politics. This is ambitious work from a promising talent. There are big scenes, bold ideas and great images – created with Robbie Ryan’s tremendous cinematography. It is based on the murderous phenomenon of “honour killing” in British Pakistani communities. When Laila (Sameena Jabeen Ahmed) runs away to be with her white boyfriend, Aaron (Conor McCarron), her family hires a posse of tough guys to get her back, a little like John Ford’s The Searchers. <br /></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/catch-me-daddy-review-honour-killing">Continue reading...</a>Catch Me DaddyDramaFilmCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 21:30:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/catch-me-daddy-review-honour-killingPeter Bradshaw2015-02-26T21:30:02ZThe Boy Next Door review – abundantly silly erotic thriller with Jennifer Lopezhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/the-boy-next-door-review
Like a daytime TV movie but a bit glossier and a bit ruder, this erotic thriller throwback is deeply ludicrous – but may certainly be enjoyed on that basis<p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/17/fifty-shades-of-grey-uk-box-office" title="">The success of Fifty Shades</a> may mean we’re in for a spate of 90s-throwback erotic thrillers, this time flogging female desire. Few will be as abundantly silly as this one, in which <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/jennifer-lopez" title="">Jennifer Lopez</a>’s married schoolmarm learns that the gym bunny she’s strayed with is a possessive homewrecker who knows how to cut brake cables – so, you know, ladies: beware. It’s one of those innately conservative Channel 5 matinee movies with glossier production and more shots of its leading man’s sixpack, but the inevitable sass-along screenings will be a scream, and it may be your first and last opportunity to see J-Lo parsing the Iliad.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/the-boy-next-door-review">Continue reading...</a>DramaRomanceFilmJennifer LopezCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 23:00:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/the-boy-next-door-reviewMike McCahill2015-02-26T23:00:04ZHinterland review – wispy but affecting drama about young adulthoodhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/hinterland-review
Harry Macqueen wrote, directed and stars in this tender but insubstantial drama about two childhood friends holidaying together<p>Director-writer-actor Harry Macqueen’s first feature is so wispy and slight that it&nbsp;would only take a strong sneeze to blow it away, but its tender sensitivity is delicate and affecting enough to make one want to cup hands to protect it. Harvey (Macqueen himself), an aspiring novelist in his 20s, picks up Lola, an old friend from his childhood, for a&nbsp;weekend break in Cornwall at a house where they spent many family holidays as kids. Although their relationship is platonic, it’s clear there are strong feelings under the surface, expressed largely through longing looks and barely spoken hints. But the will-they-or-won’t-they suspense is less the point than the film’s interesting attempt to evoke the indecision and anxiety of young adulthood, especially for a cash-strapped generation. Campbell’s songs (she’s a singer-songwriter in real life) are fetching, and&nbsp;in some ways she’s the stronger performer, given that the dialogue is at&nbsp;times a bit clunky.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/hinterland-review">Continue reading...</a>DramaFilmCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 22:45:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/hinterland-reviewLeslie Felperin2015-02-26T22:45:03ZThe Lazarus Effect review – a dog's dinner of a yucky resurrection-horrorhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/the-lazarus-effect-review-film-horror-olivia-wilde
<p>There’s nothing remotely original or interesting about this poorly put-together, cliched tale of a team of scientists who invent a goo that brings dead people back to life</p><p>Is playing God a good idea? Well, every story since the ancient Greeks says “no,” but maybe this time will be different? That’s the hope of two scientists, Frank (Mark Duplass) and Zoe (Olivia Wilde), who have just concocted some milky-white goo that, when zapped with a nice James Whale-esque bolt of electricity, can resurrect the dead. Initially their study was meant merely to prolong a surgeon’s post-flatline window to “bring someone back,” but as so often happens in the lab (or in movies about labs) their discovery becomes so much more.</p><p>The pair and their student volunteers (they are at an unnamed religious university) find success when they bring a dog back to life. But the pooch soon starts acting funny. His cataracts are cured, but he isn’t eating. He also gets really creepy and stares at Zoe in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, she’s having nightmares about melting dolls and charred hands because The Lazarus Effect is marketed as a horror film and you need to have some yucky imagery every few minutes or people get antsy.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/the-lazarus-effect-review-film-horror-olivia-wilde">Continue reading...</a>HorrorScience fiction and fantasyOlivia WildeFilmCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 10:38:31 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/the-lazarus-effect-review-film-horror-olivia-wildeJordan Hoffman2015-02-26T10:38:31ZThe Tales of Hoffmann review – Powell and Pressburger’s other magic ballet filmhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/tales-of-hoffman-review
Perhaps even more hallucinatory than The Red Shoes, Powell and Pressburger’s tale of a poet regaling a tavern with tales of his impossible loves is a thing of pure, dreamlike strangeness<p>“Made in England” is how <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/feb/17/english-heritage-blue-plaque-archers-scorsese" title="">Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger</a> finally stamped their unworldly, otherworldly Tales of Hoffmann from 1951, an adaptation of the Jacques Offenbach opera, which is now on rerelease. It actually negated English and British cinema’s reputation for stolid realism. This is a hothouse flower of pure orchidaceous strangeness, enclosed in the studio’s artificial universe, fusing cinema, opera and ballet. It is sensual, macabre, dreamlike and enigmatic: like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In his autobiography, Powell recalls talking to&nbsp;a United Artists executive after the New York premiere, who said to him, wonderingly: “Micky, I wish it were possible to make films like that …&nbsp;” A revealing choice of words. It was as if what this executive thought he had seen was some kind of miraculous film that he&nbsp;still did not believe was “possible” in any&nbsp;sense. Robert Rounseville is the famous poet Hoffmann, in love with a dancer, played by Moira Shearer. Hoffmann regales tavern drinkers with tales of his three former loves: Olympia, Giulietta and Antonia – an automaton, a courtesan and an invalid, three different manifestations of love’s dangerous, seductive power. In each case Robert Helpmann plays the dark nemesis figure, with his extraordinary, skull-like face. You might compare this to the 1948 Powell and Pressburger film <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/dec/10/the-red-shoes-film-review" title="">The Red Shoes</a>, though in many ways it&nbsp;is even more hallucinatory.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/tales-of-hoffman-review">Continue reading...</a>DramaMichael PowellFilmBalletOperaCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 22:30:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/tales-of-hoffman-reviewPeter Bradshaw2015-02-26T22:30:03ZA Dark Reflection review – clunky drama hoping to expose an air travel scandalhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/a-dark-reflection-review
Former BA pilot Tristan Loraine’s pet project is an agonisingly wooden drama that aims to lift the lid on what he claims is a very real health scandal – but this is just not the way to raise the issue<p>Here is an oddity. It’s effectively an amateur feature film produced to professional standards – more or less – and directed by a former BA airline pilot called Tristan Loraine. He retired on medical grounds in 2006, then retrained at the National Film and Television School, and is on a mission to campaign against the “aerotoxins” he says are poisoning cabin crew and passengers on all commercial flights, as unfiltered toxic fumes are recirculated into the aircraft. With help from industry colleagues and supported by&nbsp;Express newspapers, Loraine raised the production funds. The drama itself – about an investigative journalist working on this issue – is woodenly acted, clunkily written and agonisingly directed. It is trying to make a serious point, but if there really is a health issue with airlines (and there might well be), what we need is a&nbsp;proper documentary, probably for television, in which Mr Loraine’s contentions can be properly tested.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/a-dark-reflection-review">Continue reading...</a>DramaFilmCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 22:15:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/a-dark-reflection-reviewPeter Bradshaw2015-02-26T22:15:03ZCake review – half-baked black comedy shares the painhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/cake-review-jennifer-aniston
Jennifer Aniston plays a Percocet-addicted antiheroine in this predictable piece of&nbsp;awards-bait<p>At first, this film certainly promises something difficult and challenging. But having struck variously angry or black-comic notes in its opening section, it morphs into a piece of indie-sentimental awards-bait for its producer-star Jennifer Aniston. She plays Claire, a Percocet addict who is in&nbsp;chronic pain, given to angry outbursts at her support group and left depressed and conflicted after the suicide of her counsellor, Nina (Anna Kendrick). Claire is drawn into a friendship with Nina’s widow, Roy (Sam Worthington), and remains impossibly difficult with her long-suffering maid and carer, Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Inevitably, the explanation for her condition is left for the third-act reveal, which we reach via the mandatory grieving, healing and self-forgiveness. The relationships and plot transitions feel forced, and the trope of the ironic hallucinatory ghost is glib and cliched (David Cronenberg carried it off more successfully in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/25/maps-to-the-stars-review-david-cronenberg">Maps to the Stars</a>). As&nbsp;for Aniston, she gives an honest, well-intentioned performance, but it is marooned in an unsatisfying script whose emotional effects are unearned.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/cake-review-jennifer-aniston">Continue reading...</a>CakeFilmCultureJennifer AnistonDramaComedyComedyAnna KendrickThu, 19 Feb 2015 23:00:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/cake-review-jennifer-anistonPeter Bradshaw2015-02-19T23:00:06ZPredestination review – headspinning, nearly toxic sci-fihttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/predestination-review-ethan-hawke
Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook are mysteriously mixed up in a time-travelling adventure just short of logic<p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/17/predestination-sarah-snook">Sarah Snook: ‘I’m gonna sit and learn’</a> </p><p>Like all time-travel stories, this inevitably trips on its own causal illogic – but not before it’s offered you a&nbsp;taste of something genuinely rich and strange, and probably toxic. It is based on a 1958 SF short story by Robert Heinlein and has touches of Philip K Dick. Ethan Hawke is working for a&nbsp;top-secret government unit that specialises in time travel. His job as a&nbsp;special agent is to zoom back in time to&nbsp;try and forestall a serial killer dubbed the “Fizzle Bomber” (due to the slow-action fuse of his explosive devices) at various stages of his long, notorious career. But while posing as a barman in 1970, Hawke comes across a mysterious trans character (Sarah Snook) with an extraordinary story to tell him. He figures this could be a&nbsp;vital recruit, and their destinies and histories are to be intertwined in headspinning ways. The counterfactual black humour is dizzying, and the movie is, to use Hawke’s own term, the snake that eats its own tail.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/predestination-review-ethan-hawke">Continue reading...</a>Science fiction and fantasyEthan HawkeFilmCultureThu, 19 Feb 2015 22:30:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/predestination-review-ethan-hawkePeter Bradshaw2015-02-19T22:30:05ZBlackhat review – mostly ridiculous cyber-thriller from Michael Mannhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/blackhat-review-michael-mann
<p>Chris Hemsworth is the convicted hacker strongarmed into working with the Chinese in Michael Mann’s dependably macho but disappointing thriller</p><p>Michael Mann’s films almost grunt with machismo; even when nothing much is going on, they flex and strain and vibrate, like a weightlifter who’s hoisted the bar up to chest level, in preparation for getting it over his head. The spectacle here is sometimes absorbing but more often ridiculous, and it isn’t his best work. Blackhat is an action thriller, with Mann’s traditional heavy-artillery shoot-outs, on a notionally contemporary theme: computer hacking. It’s a difficult subject to dramatise, and actually, Blackhat often looks like an old-fashioned McGuffin thriller, in which our fugitive hero and heroine are allowed to run, hand in hand, down the escalator into a subway.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/16/michael-mann-blackhat-chris-hemsworth">Michael Mann: the crime drama kingpin on murder and malware</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/blackhat-review-michael-mann">Continue reading...</a>BlackhatThrillerFilmCultureThu, 19 Feb 2015 22:00:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/blackhat-review-michael-mannPeter Bradshaw2015-02-19T22:00:04ZThe Wedding Ringer review – I want a divorcehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/the-wedding-ringer-review-kevin-hart-josh-gad
Friendless groom-to-be hires phoney best man in order to dump indignities on him. A laughter vacuum<p>Kevin Hart’s latest laughter vacuum repurposes the plot of 2009’s undervalued <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/apr/17/i-love-you-man-film-review" title="">I Love You, Man</a> for actors whose own relatives probably wouldn’t pay to watch them in a cinema. Where its predecessor used this set-up – friendless groom-to-be hires phoney best man – to observe how funny men can get around other men, Ringer is principally concerned with the indignities wrought on schlubby Josh Gad’s gonads by, among other elements, chilli and hungry dogs. Hart continues to demonstrate what Funny People euphemistically termed “a lot of energy”. Here, it encompasses ultra-lame dance routines and behaviour towards women that would likely land one on a register if emulated in real life.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/the-wedding-ringer-review-kevin-hart-josh-gad">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureComedyThu, 19 Feb 2015 21:30:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/the-wedding-ringer-review-kevin-hart-josh-gadMike McCahill2015-02-19T21:30:04ZMaidan review – hypnotic bird’s-eye-view of Ukraine uprisinghttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/maidan-review-ukraine-kiev
Sergei Loznitsa’s fixed camera captures the tragedy of the protests in Kiev’s Independence Square with haunting intensity<p>This film from Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa it is a remarkable record of the popular <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/21/-sp-ukraine-maidan-protest-kiev" title="">demonstration in Kiev’s&nbsp;Independence Square</a> (the Maidan Nezalezhnosti) during the winter of 2013-14, against the pro-Moscow presidency of <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/12/viktor-yanukovych-interpol-wanted-list-ukraine" title="">Viktor Yanukovych</a>. The protests led to his downfall, and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/20/ukraine-dead-protesters-police" title="">to violent chaos</a>, the deaths of 100 protesters and the start of the ongoing confrontation between pro-Russian and pro-EU factions. With no music or voiceover, Loznitsa captures the event with a series of long, uninterrupted shots of the crowded square and neighbouring places from (mostly) fixed camera positions. The hypnotic, deep-focus scenes look like images from some deadly serious, modern version of Les Mis&eacute;rables. The camera appears to have been positioned miraculously, almost invisibly, creating the impression of access to a vivid, unmediated reality. It utterly negates the grammar of television news: there is no Orla Guerin giving us&nbsp;commentary in the bottom of the frame, and the camera does not dramatically flinch and swivel at the awful moments. At times, with the derisive anti-presidential singing – “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgPGLSaWrzk" title="">Vitya ciao, Vitya ciao, Vitya ciao, ciao, ciao!</a>” – this reminded me of something like a 60s pop happening. When someone warns the crowd about a government sniper, it feels like the announcer at Woodstock passing on concern about the brown acid. But underneath the paving stones of the Maidan, there is no beach. When the inevitable funerals happen, the mood is sombre. One of the many poets and singers on the stage says: “What does a man exist for? He exists for love.” The idealism attains a haunted, tragic dimension by the end of the film.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/maidan-review-ukraine-kiev">Continue reading...</a>MaidanFilmCultureUkraineDocumentaryViktor YanukovychRussiaThe far rightProtestThu, 19 Feb 2015 21:59:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/maidan-review-ukraine-kievPeter Bradshaw2015-02-19T21:59:04ZKumiko, the Treasure Hunter review – tiresome and tweehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/kumiko-the-treasure-hunter-review
A depressed Japanese woman, inspired by the film Fargo, goes to the US, where very little of consequence ensues<p>There can hardly be a bigger waste of time than this piece of twee nonsense. Bafflingly, it bears the imprimatur of Alexander Payne, the director of Election and Nebraska, who serves as executive producer. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/feb/27/rinko-kikuchi-film-fashion-japan" title="">Rinko Kikuchi</a> stars as Kumiko, a deeply depressed young woman in Japan who becomes obsessed with a fuzzy, old VHS copy of the Coen brothers’ movie Fargo. Believing the treasure buried in the drama is real, she journeys to Minnesota to find it. Her emotional breakdown evidently explains this delusion: either that, or she is a faux-childlike imbecile. Poor Kumiko duly arrives in the US and proceeds to run out on various hotel bills and cab fares, with no consequences, either legally or&nbsp;in terms of plausible narrative development. She is helped, sort of, by a police officer, who appears to be another low-IQ innocent, believing for example that the Chinese and Japanese languages are the same. The metaphorical value of this tiresome shaggy-dog quest turns out to be precisely zero. Why not just rent a&nbsp;copy of Fargo instead?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/kumiko-the-treasure-hunter-review">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureDramaThu, 19 Feb 2015 21:45:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/kumiko-the-treasure-hunter-reviewPeter Bradshaw2015-02-19T21:45:04ZBackstreet Boys: Show ’Em What You’re Made Of review – tears and man-hugshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/backstreet-boys-show-em-what-youre-made-of-review
This surprisingly frank documentary focuses on what happens when an emotionally fractured boyband grows up and deals with its past<br /><br /><p>Pitched between the managed revelations of Katy Perry’s Part of Me and the extended therapy sessions of Metallica’s <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/oct/01/metallica" title="">Some Kind of Monster</a>, Show ’Em What You’re Made Of charts the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jan/29/why-backstreet-boys-have-little-to-teach-one-direction" title="">Backstreet Boys</a>’ 20-year career, from inauspicious start (awful facial hair, backwards caps, billowing trousers), via their sudden success in Europe (we learn that the one German phrase they learned verbatim was “will you give me a blowjob?”) to globe-straddling, chart-slaying behemoths. But pop bands aren’t supposed to last, and this surprisingly frank documentary focuses on what happens when an emotionally fractured boy band grows up and deals with its past (answer: lots of crying and man-hugging). Featuring home movies and news clips of their early days juxtaposed with the jowlier, slightly haunted present incarnation, its tale of broken friendships, rickety knees, backstabbing managers and independently funded, acoustic-lead latterday albums should act as a warning to any up-and-coming boyband.</p><p>• <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jan/29/why-backstreet-boys-have-little-to-teach-one-direction" title="">Why the Backstreet Boys have little to teach One Direction</a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/backstreet-boys-show-em-what-youre-made-of-review">Continue reading...</a>Music documentaryFilmCulturePop and rockMusicDocumentaryThu, 19 Feb 2015 21:15:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/backstreet-boys-show-em-what-youre-made-of-reviewMichael Cragg2015-02-19T21:15:04ZKung Fu Killer review – Donnie Yen in Hong Kong cops-and martial-arts thrillerhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/kung-fu-killer-review
Ip Man star Yen plays Mo, an imprisoned martial-arts master who is released from jail to help the cops catch a serial killer, writes <strong>Leslie Felperin</strong><p>Something of a swan song for its 51-year-old star Donnie Yen, best known for the Ip Man franchise, this cops-and-martial-arts movie also pays affectionate tribute with its end-credits montage to the huge roster of talents in the Hong Kong industry, many of whom have walk-on cameos here. But while aficionados of the genre will get a kick out these Easter eggs, less informed viewers might feel a little baffled by these standard-issue kung-fu film tropes and wonder why this, of all films from the region, is getting a theatrical release in the UK. Yen plays Mo, an imprisoned martial-arts master who is temporarily released from jail to help the cops catch a serial killer (a scenery-chewing Baoqiang Wang) who’s been picking off former champions Mo fought before. The fight scenes are terrific, but the haphazard plotting, off-the-peg characterisations and drippy music elsewhere lack flavour.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/kung-fu-killer-review">Continue reading...</a>Action and adventureCultureFilmThu, 19 Feb 2015 21:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/kung-fu-killer-reviewLeslie Felperin2015-02-19T21:00:03ZThe Duke of Burgundy review – a moving story of love on the winghttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/the-duke-of-burgundy-review-peter-strickland
<p>British arthouse star Peter Strickland brings extravagant artifice and intoxicating atmosphere to this story of two women in a BDSM relationship</p><p>Recently we’ve seen a film about <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/09/bdsm-good-for-you-fifty-shades-of-grey-relationship">BDSM</a> driven by dead-eyed commercial imperative. Peter Strickland’s new film, The Duke of Burgundy, is different: it is a labour of love, whereas <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/11/fifty-shades-of-grey-review">Fifty Shades of Grey</a> was a labour of money.</p><p>The Duke is an extravagantly artificial creation, all about fetish, kink and the sussuration of an insect’s wings. The opening credits announce that it features “perfume by Je Suis Gizella”. Attempts to Google this product exposed my failure to get the joke. Or maybe Strickland discovered a stockpile of obscure scent that ceased production in 1972. A nice touch, though – as if early silent movies had credited the music they played on-set to get actors in the mood.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/01/films-of-2015-trailers-teasers-worth-the-wait">Films of 2015: they’re worth the wait</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/the-duke-of-burgundy-review-peter-strickland">Continue reading...</a>The Duke of BurgundyDramaRomancePeter StricklandFilmCultureThu, 19 Feb 2015 15:30:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/the-duke-of-burgundy-review-peter-stricklandPeter Bradshaw2015-02-19T15:30:10ZHot Tub Time Machine 2 review - laughs go down the drainhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/hot-tub-time-machine-2-review
<p>The charm of the first film is nowhere to be seen, leaving only penis jokes, cheap setpieces and a bull-in-a-china-shop performance from Rob Corddry</p><p>The dopey 2010 comedy Hot Tub Time Machine was an unexpected, late-blooming hit: hence this sequel. Even if you don’t remember it all that well, you may recall laughing a lot; there was something pleasing about the fact that this odd little picture found a home with cult audiences. (The most hardcore example of its pop culture success: a splash page in possibly the nerdiest of all comic crossovers, <a href="http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/3625864.html">Star Trek/DC’s Legion of Superheroes</a>, in which the titular whirlpool is stashed in a room of sci-fi’s better known time travel devices.) </p><p>But if fantasy fiction has taught us anything it’s that the timestream flows both way. As a result, director Steven Pink has created a <a href="http://www.dictionarycentral.com/definition/reverse-causality.html">reverse causality</a>. I hated Hot Tub Time Machine 2 so much I now can’t even think about the first one without feeling annoyed. This may suggest that the only solution is to go and make a third one to rescue the franchise, but really it may be time to leave well enough alone.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/hot-tub-time-machine-2-review">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureComedyComedyThu, 19 Feb 2015 06:01:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/hot-tub-time-machine-2-reviewJordan Hoffman2015-02-19T06:01:05ZThe Duff first look review – brutally honest but funny guide to high schoolhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/18/the-duff-review-high-school-movie-mae-whitman-robbie-amell
This emo teen movie has a refreshingly believable heroine in Designated Ugly Fat Friend Bianca, remarkably played by Mae Whitman<p>The Duff opens with a light jab at The Breakfast Club and concludes with a moment straight out of Pretty in Pink. It’s extremely ambitious, at least as far as emo high school movies are concerned. While its opening is too reliant on a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101065/">Clarissa Explains It All</a>-like voiceover, and some heavy-handed anti-bullying messaging feels shoehorned, there are stretches in which The Duff soars, nailing scene after funny scene with an honest spirit rarely seen in mainstream teen films. Its lead character, Bianca Piper, is a special breed of dork who is not completely socially inept. She’s one who weathers high school’s dramas with the added burden of self-awareness. It’s a character you really don’t see much in the movies, which is even stranger, considering how real she is.</p><p>Most of the credit goes to Mae Whitman, best known for smaller roles in Arrested Development, Parenthood and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/26/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-review">Scott Pilgrim vs the World</a>. In addition to working with a zing-rich script from Josh A Cagan (based on a novel written by then teenaged <a href="http://kodykeplinger.com/">Kody Keplinger</a>) Whitman’s turn as Piper is a marathon of what they call in acting classes “good choices”. Pretty much everything she does is equal parts funny and endearing, and slightly unpredictable. Not that the movie isn’t predictable – you’ll figure out which guy she’ll end up with pretty early in the film – but the way Whitman dodges the typical teen-girl portrayal is practically an exploration in jazz. Bianca Piper is a character all up in her head (a writer, naturally) who manages to switch from sincerity to sarcasm with lightning speed. It’s in her deep voice, her nonverbal reactions, her glances, her body language. It is, truly, a remarkable performance.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/18/the-duff-review-high-school-movie-mae-whitman-robbie-amell">Continue reading...</a>TeenageComedyRomanceFilmCultureComedyWed, 18 Feb 2015 18:09:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/18/the-duff-review-high-school-movie-mae-whitman-robbie-amellJordan Hoffman2015-02-18T18:09:37ZFifty Shades of Grey review – depressingly mainstreamhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/15/fifty-shades-of-grey-observer-film-review
A little too much of EL James’s tin-eared prose survives in the big-screen version of her erotic bestseller<p>“I’m fifty shades of fucked up!” This adaptation of EL James’s BDSM potboiler struggles to make a spanking cinematic silk purse out of its notoriously tin-eared source. Dakota Johnson plays the virginal Anastasia Steele, an innocent student sent to interview Hobbit-faced billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), who winds up being lured into his purpose-built dungeon of love. The ripped Grey holds all the money and the power, but will submission win Anastasia her heart’s desire?</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/16/fifty-shades-of-grey-spoilers-discuss">Fifty Shades of Grey: the end, the art, the nipples – discuss the film with spoilers</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/15/fifty-shades-of-grey-observer-film-review">Continue reading...</a>Fifty Shades of GreyFilmSam Taylor-JohnsonCultureEL JamesBooksSun, 15 Feb 2015 08:00:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/15/fifty-shades-of-grey-observer-film-reviewMark Kermode2015-02-15T08:00:07ZCatch Me Daddy review – harrowing and powerfulhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/catch-me-daddy-observer-film-review-harrowing-powerful-honour-killing
Expressionist cinematography raises this tale of a threatened ‘honour’ killing in Yorkshire beyond mere social realism <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/catch-me-daddy-observer-film-review-harrowing-powerful-honour-killing">Continue reading...</a>Catch Me DaddyCultureDramaFilmSun, 01 Mar 2015 09:00:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/catch-me-daddy-observer-film-review-harrowing-powerful-honour-killingMark Kermode, Observer film critic2015-03-01T09:00:06ZIt Follows review – genre cliches at an art-house distancehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/it-follows-review-observer-mark-kermode
The horror hits of the 70s and 80s are lovingly referenced in David Robert Mitchell’s slick stalker movie <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/it-follows-review-observer-mark-kermode">Continue reading...</a>It FollowsHorrorFilmCultureSun, 01 Mar 2015 09:00:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/it-follows-review-observer-mark-kermodeMark Kermode, Observer film critic2015-03-01T09:00:05ZThe Tales of Hoffmann review – enchanting, disturbing, and electrifyinghttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/tales-of-hoffmann-observer-film-review-enchanting-disturbing-electrifying
<p>A digital restoration of Powell and Pressburger’s 1951 gem confirms its status as an exquisite cinematic experience</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/tales-of-hoffmann-observer-film-review-enchanting-disturbing-electrifying">Continue reading...</a>Michael PowellDramaMusicalsFilmCultureSun, 01 Mar 2015 08:00:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/tales-of-hoffmann-observer-film-review-enchanting-disturbing-electrifyingMark Kermode, Observer film critic2015-03-01T08:00:14ZThe Boy Next Door review – the neighbour from hellhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/boy-next-door-observer-film-review-neighbour-from-hell-jennifer-lopez
Jennifer Lopez is stalked by the man next door in an exploitative thriller destined for a B-movie TV slot <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/boy-next-door-observer-film-review-neighbour-from-hell-jennifer-lopez">Continue reading...</a>The Boy Next DoorJennifer LopezThrillerFilmCultureSun, 01 Mar 2015 08:00:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/boy-next-door-observer-film-review-neighbour-from-hell-jennifer-lopezMark Kermode, Observer film critic2015-03-01T08:00:11ZFocus review – a flimsy con-romphttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/focus-observer-film-review-flimsy-con-romp
Will Smith’s buffed chest is the smoothest operator in this unconvincing tale of double-crossing partners in crime <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/focus-observer-film-review-flimsy-con-romp">Continue reading...</a>ThrillerWill SmithFilmCultureSun, 01 Mar 2015 08:00:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/focus-observer-film-review-flimsy-con-rompMark Kermode, Observer film critic2015-03-01T08:00:09ZThe Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel review – a patchy sequelhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/second-marigold-hotel-observer-film-review-patchy-but-likable-sequel
The stellar cast returns to India for a likable but ramshackle continuation of a winning formula <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/second-marigold-hotel-observer-film-review-patchy-but-likable-sequel">Continue reading...</a>The Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelBill NighyMaggie SmithRichard GereJudi DenchFilmCultureDramaComedySun, 01 Mar 2015 08:00:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/second-marigold-hotel-observer-film-review-patchy-but-likable-sequelMark Kermode, Observer film critic2015-03-01T08:00:09ZThe Killing review – Philip French on Stanley Kubrick’s influential breakthrough moviehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/the-killing-stanley-kubrick-dvd-review-philip-french
(Stanley Kubrick, 1956; Arrow, 12) <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/the-killing-stanley-kubrick-dvd-review-philip-french">Continue reading...</a>DVD and video reviewsFilmCultureStanley KubrickSun, 01 Mar 2015 08:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/the-killing-stanley-kubrick-dvd-review-philip-frenchPhilip French2015-03-01T08:00:03ZWhite God (Fehér isten) review – canine carnagehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/white-god-observer-film-review-canine-carnage
Pathos, insight and political allegory light up a dark drama of feral fighting dogs in Budapest <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/white-god-observer-film-review-canine-carnage">Continue reading...</a>White GodWorld cinemaDramaFilmCultureHungarySun, 01 Mar 2015 08:00:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/white-god-observer-film-review-canine-carnageMark Kermode, Observer film critic2015-03-01T08:00:01ZWyrmwood: Road of the Damned review – a lean, mean zombie splatterfesthttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/wyrmwood-road-of-the-damned-review-a-lean-mean-zombie-splatterfest
<p>This energetic bloodbath directed by a pair of Aussie siblings is light on logic but loaded with plenty of schlocky thrills</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/wyrmwood-road-of-the-damned-review-a-lean-mean-zombie-splatterfest">Continue reading...</a>Wyrmwood: Road of the DamnedFilmCultureHorrorFri, 27 Feb 2015 15:51:36 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/wyrmwood-road-of-the-damned-review-a-lean-mean-zombie-splatterfestLuke Buckmaster2015-02-27T15:51:36ZFocus review – Will Smith and Margot Robbie in the perfect con movie, almosthttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/focus-will-smith-margot-robbie-first-look-review
<p>Gorgeous actors? Check. Extraordinarily furnished interiors? Check. This could have been a defining grifter flick – if they had cut the final third</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/focus-will-smith-margot-robbie-first-look-review">Continue reading...</a>Will SmithThrillerCrimeFilmCultureWed, 25 Feb 2015 18:37:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/focus-will-smith-margot-robbie-first-look-reviewJordan Hoffman2015-02-25T18:37:17ZThe Guardian Film Show: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Catch Me Daddy and It Follows - video reviewshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-catch-me-daddy-it-follows-video-reviews
Peter Bradshaw and Andrew Pulver join Henry Barnes for our round-up of the week's cinema releases. Coming up on this week's show ... a pack of randy retirees head back to India to visit <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/the-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel">The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</a>; a family feud plays out across the Yorkshire moors in Brit thriller <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/catch-me-daddy">Catch Me Daddy</a>; and horror is sexually transmitted in the terrifying <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/it-follows">It Follows</a>. Plus, interviews with Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel stars Dev Patel and Bill Nighy <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-catch-me-daddy-it-follows-video-reviews">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureIt FollowsCatch Me DaddyThe Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelHorrorThrillerComedyBill NighyFri, 27 Feb 2015 14:00:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-catch-me-daddy-it-follows-video-reviewsHenry Barnes, Peter Bradshaw, Andrew Pulver, Tom Silverstone, Mona Mahmood and Andrea Salvatici2015-02-27T14:00:56ZWhile We're Young trailer: Ben Stiller hits mid-life crisis in Noah Baumbach comedy - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/mar/02/while-were-young-ben-stiller-trailer
Noah Baumbach's While We're Young sees affluent middle-aged couple Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts) fall in love with the carefree lifestyle of a young hipsters Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried. While We're Young, which <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/07/while-were-young-ben-stiller-review-noah-baumbach-adam-driver">received a five-star review from the Guardian at last year's Toronto film festival</a>, is released in the UK on 27 March <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/mar/02/while-were-young-ben-stiller-trailer">Continue reading...</a>While We're YoungFilmCultureBen StillerNaomi WattsAmanda SeyfriedAdam DriverMon, 02 Mar 2015 14:38:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/mar/02/while-were-young-ben-stiller-trailerGuardian Staff2015-03-02T14:38:03ZThe Lady in the Van trailer: Maggie Smith plays the woman who lived in Alan Bennett's front yard - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/lady-in-the-van-trailer-maggie-smith-alan-bennett-video
Based on the play by Alan Bennett, The Lady in the Van tells the story of Miss Shepherd, an elderly woman who lived in a van on the playwright's property. Directed by Nicholas Hytner, The Lady in the Van tells the story of Bennett's friendship with Miss Shepherd as she continued to live in his front yard for the next 15 years. The film is released in the UK on 13 November <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/lady-in-the-van-trailer-maggie-smith-alan-bennett-video">Continue reading...</a>The Lady in the VanFilmMaggie SmithAlan BennettNicholas HytnerJames CordenBiopicsFri, 27 Feb 2015 15:55:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/lady-in-the-van-trailer-maggie-smith-alan-bennett-videoGuardian Staff2015-02-27T15:55:56ZThe Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - video reviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-video-review
In this excerpt from the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-catch-me-daddy-it-follows-video-reviews">Guardian Film Show</a> Henry Barnes, Peter Bradshaw and Andrew Pulver check in with the second film in comedy franchise about a pack of randy retirees living out their years in India. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which stars Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith, is out in the UK now <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-video-review">Continue reading...</a>The Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelFilmComedyBill NighyJudi DenchFri, 27 Feb 2015 14:28:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-video-reviewHenry Barnes, Peter Bradshaw, Andrew Pulver, Mona Mahmood and Andrea Salvatici2015-02-27T14:28:00ZCatch Me Daddy - video reviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/catch-me-daddy-video-review
In this excerpt from the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-catch-me-daddy-it-follows-video-reviews">Guardian Film Show</a> Henry Barnes, Peter Bradshaw and Andrew Pulver review director <br />Daniel Wolfe's thriller about a young Pakistani woman being chased by her father after running off with her boyfriend. The film, which stars Sameena Jabeen Ahmed, sees a family feud play out across the stark and beautiful Yorkshire moors. Catch Me Daddy is in UK cinemas now <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/catch-me-daddy-video-review">Continue reading...</a>Catch Me DaddyFilmThrillerCultureFri, 27 Feb 2015 14:18:51 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/catch-me-daddy-video-reviewHenry Barnes, Peter Bradshaw, Andrew Pulver, Tom Silverstone, Mona Mahmood and Andrea Salvatici2015-02-27T14:18:51ZIt Follows - video reviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/it-follows-video-review
In this excerpt from the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-catch-me-daddy-it-follows-video-reviews">Guardian Film Show</a> Henry Barnes, Peter Bradshaw and Andrew Pulver review It Follows, in which a deadly curse is transmitted through sex. David Robert Mitchell's film stars Maika Monroe as the latest teen forced to choose between running from the horror or passing it on. It Follows is in UK cinemas now <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/it-follows-video-review">Continue reading...</a>It FollowsFilmHorrorFri, 27 Feb 2015 14:11:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/27/it-follows-video-reviewHenry Barnes, Peter Bradshaw, Andrew Pulver, Mona Mahmood and Andrea Salvatici2015-02-27T14:11:00ZWhy The Boy Next Door is the one film you should watch this week – video reviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/26/boy-next-door-film-you-should-watch-video-review
Benjamin Lee welcomes the return of the yuppie paranoia thriller as Jennifer Lopez is seduced, then terrorised by the buff psychopath next door. He says the film, which is released in UK cinemas on Friday, is crass, improbable and utterly irresistible <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/26/boy-next-door-film-you-should-watch-video-review">Continue reading...</a>The Boy Next DoorFilmCultureThrillerJennifer LopezThu, 26 Feb 2015 09:56:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/26/boy-next-door-film-you-should-watch-video-reviewBenjamin Lee and Mona Mahmood2015-02-26T09:56:09ZWatch the trailer for Frozen Fever, the sequel to the hit Disney animation – videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/25/frozen-fever-trailer-video
In this first look at the short spin-off from Disney's Frozen, Elsa comes down with a cold<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/25/frozen-sequel-trailer-debuts-short-film-centres-on-elsa-catching-a-cold">• Let us know what you think</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/25/frozen-fever-trailer-video">Continue reading...</a>FrozenWalt Disney CompanyAnimationWed, 25 Feb 2015 17:43:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/25/frozen-fever-trailer-videoGuardian Staff2015-02-25T17:43:17ZBill Nighy on The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: 'I'm not famous for being a fox' - video interviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/25/second-best-marigold-hotel-bill-nighy-dev-patel-video-interview
Bill Nighy and Dev Patel, stars of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, tell Andrew Pulver how the continuation of the franchise deepens and extends the story. Nighy suggests that it 'unlocks something in the audience which allows you to briefly properly join the human race' and sings the praises of his co-stars, many of whom he has known for four decades <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/25/second-best-marigold-hotel-bill-nighy-dev-patel-video-interview">Continue reading...</a>The Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelFilmCultureBill NighyWed, 25 Feb 2015 12:04:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/25/second-best-marigold-hotel-bill-nighy-dev-patel-video-interviewAndrew Pulver and Jonross Swaby2015-02-25T12:04:00ZFake Jim Carrey dupes Czech film awards - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/24/fake-jim-carrey-dupes-czech-film-awards-video
Organisers of the Czech Republic's most prestigious film awards have apologised after giving VIP red carpet treatment to a conman who claimed to be Hollywood star Jim Carrey. Suited and booted and bearing only a passing resemblance to the Canadian actor, the hoaxer managed to fool officials into allowing him on stage at the Česky Lev (Czech Lion) awards in Prague, where he waved and was showered in golden confetti <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/24/fake-jim-carrey-dupes-czech-film-awards-video">Continue reading...</a>Jim CarreyCzech RepublicFilmWorld newsAwards and prizesEuropeTue, 24 Feb 2015 09:26:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/24/fake-jim-carrey-dupes-czech-film-awards-videoGuardian Staff2015-02-24T09:26:56ZOscars 2015 critics' reaction: 'The Academy failed to recognise Boyhood, a modern classic' – videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-critics-reaction-boyhood-video
Sleep-deprived film critics <strong>Peter Bradshaw</strong> and <strong>Catherine Shoard</strong> join <strong>Henry Barnes</strong> to discuss the wins and snubs from the 2015 Oscars after a night of glamour and – on the whole – results as predicted. In a surprise turn, Birdman swooped in to claim the best picture and best director awards, while Eddie Redmayne won best actor for The Theory of Everything and Julianne Moore grabbed best actress for her portrayal of Alzheimer's in Still Alice<br /><br />• Clips courtesy of Ampas <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-critics-reaction-boyhood-video">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmCultureOscarsBirdmanBoyhoodMon, 23 Feb 2015 11:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-critics-reaction-boyhood-videoPeter Bradshaw, Catherine Shoard, Henry Barnes and Paul Frankl2015-02-23T11:30:00ZOscars 2015: from mountain climbing with Lady Gaga to cheek-squeezing with John Travolta - video highlightshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-academy-awards-film-highlights
Watch highlights from the 2015 Oscars featuring the acceptance speeches of Eddie Redmayne, Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette and JK Simmons, as well as the moment Birdman was named best picture. Also for your viewing pleasure: Lady Gaga sings a medley from The Sound of Music and John Travolta gets Idina Menzel's name right – and body language wrong <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-academy-awards-film-highlights">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmWorld newsBirdmanEddie RedmayneNeil Patrick HarrisJohn TravoltaIdina MenzelJulianne MoorePatricia ArquetteCitizenfourAlejandro González IñárrituJK SimmonsLady GagaThe Theory of EverythingSean PennMon, 23 Feb 2015 09:53:34 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-academy-awards-film-highlightsGuardian Staff2015-02-23T09:53:34ZOscars 2015: the funniest moments from Neil Patrick Harris to John Travolta's face-grabbing - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-funniest-moments-neil-patrick-harris-john-travolta-video
Neil Patrick Harris, the host of this year's Oscar ceremony, used the gig to ridicule the Academy's lack of diversity, while Idina Menzel got her own back on John Travolta for mangling her name last year by calling him "Glom Gazingo", which prompted Travolta to get a little too familiar ... <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-funniest-moments-neil-patrick-harris-john-travolta-video">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmCultureAwards and prizesIdina MenzelBenedict CumberbatchJohn TravoltaOscarsNeil Patrick HarrisMon, 23 Feb 2015 05:29:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-funniest-moments-neil-patrick-harris-john-travolta-videoSource: A.M.P.A.S2015-02-23T05:29:00ZOscar nominees on the red carpet - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-red-carpet-nominees-videos-julianne-moore-eddie-redmayne-steve-carell
As the 87th Academy Awards get under way, the stars and film-makers throng the red carpet on the way into the auditorium. Nominees Michael Keaton, Stave Carell, Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore are among the big names who stop off for a quick chat before the ceremony starts <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-red-carpet-nominees-videos-julianne-moore-eddie-redmayne-steve-carell">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmCultureOscarsJulianne MooreEddie RedmayneFelicity JonesMichael KeatonDavid OyelowoAwards and prizesSteve CarellMon, 23 Feb 2015 05:21:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-red-carpet-nominees-videos-julianne-moore-eddie-redmayne-steve-carellSource: A.M.P.A.S2015-02-23T05:21:00ZIda wins best foreign language Oscar - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-ida-wins-best-foreign-language-film-video
Ida is the story of a novice nun in 1960s Poland who discovers she is Jewish shortly before taking her vows. Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski, it saw off competition from Russian anti-Putin satire Leviathan and Argentina's Wild Tales. Here Pawlikowski accepts his award and manages to talk over the music trying to cut him off <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-ida-wins-best-foreign-language-film-video">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmCultureOscarsIdaAwards and prizesMon, 23 Feb 2015 04:54:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-ida-wins-best-foreign-language-film-videoSource: A.M.P.A.S2015-02-23T04:54:00ZJK Simmons wins best supporting actor Oscar - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-jk-simmons-wins-best-supporting-actor-whiplash
Playing a brutally overbearing music teacher in Whiplash, JK Simmons was the hot favourite going into the Academy awards and he duly picked up the best supporting actor Oscar. Here he gives his acceptance speech and tells the world why they have to talk to their parents more often<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/live/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-live-red-carpet-and-arrivals-ceremony-and-winners">• Follow the Oscars live here</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-jk-simmons-wins-best-supporting-actor-whiplash">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmOscarsJK SimmonsWhiplashAwards and prizesCultureMon, 23 Feb 2015 04:20:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-jk-simmons-wins-best-supporting-actor-whiplashSource: A.M.P.A.S2015-02-23T04:20:00ZThe Guardian Film Show live! Oscars 2015 predictions special edition - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/20/guardian-film-show-oscars-special
The Guardian film team give their tips and thoughts on the nominees, snubs and controversies at this year's Oscars. Will Boyhood or Birdman prove victorious, or might American Sniper sneak through to score best picture? Can anyone challenge Julianne Moore for best actress? And should there be an Oscar for best film critic … ? This is an extract from a live show taped at the Ritzy cinema in Brixton, London, on 19 February 2015<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/19/duke-of-burgundy-predestination-maidan-cake-video-reviews">• This week's regular Guardian film show, reviewing Cake, The Duke of Burgundy, Maidan and Predestination</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/20/guardian-film-show-oscars-special">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmOscarsRichard LinklaterBirdmanBoyhoodJulianne MooreEddie RedmayneSelmaThe Imitation GameAwards and prizesWhiplashAmerican SniperThe Grand Budapest HotelThe Theory of EverythingFri, 20 Feb 2015 17:32:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/20/guardian-film-show-oscars-specialHenry Barnes, Catherine Shoard, Andrew Pulver, Peter Bradshaw, Benjamin Lee and Paul Frankl2015-02-20T17:32:00ZAppropriate Behaviour: watch a clip of the indie comedy championed by Lena Dunham - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/20/appropriate-behavior-clip-comedy-lena-dunham
Desiree Akhavan's semi-autobiographical comedy follows Shirin, a bisexual Iranian-American woman's struggle to get over her ex-girlfriend. Akhavan, who wrote, directed and starred in Appropriate Behaviour, caught the attention of Lena Dunham with the film and has since guest starred in Dunham's series Girls. Appropriate Behavior is released in the UK on 6 March <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/20/appropriate-behavior-clip-comedy-lena-dunham">Continue reading...</a>Appropriate BehaviourFilmComedyCultureLena DunhamFri, 20 Feb 2015 14:47:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/20/appropriate-behavior-clip-comedy-lena-dunhamGuardian Staff2015-02-20T14:47:00ZBirdman got it wrong: serious actors love playing superheroeshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/27/birdman-wrong-about-movie-superheroes
<p>The torment of Michael Keaton’s washed-up thesp grossly exaggerates the gap between arthouse movies and Hollywood’s fantasy blockbusters</p><p>I blame <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/aug/08/guardianobituaries.tomsutcliffe">Alec Guinness</a>. The late Englishman is famously reputed to have labelled 1977’s <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/starwars">Star Wars</a>, which brought him elevated fame, fortune and an Oscar nomination, as “fairytale nonsense”. And so, right at the very beginning of Hollywood’s blockbuster era, the message to awards season voters was clear: the new wave of fantasy action epics were to be regarded as inferior, especially so as even those who starred in them thought they weren’t much cop.</p><p>The key character in Birdman, Riggan Thomson, might be seen as a latter day Guinness (though surely the Englishman never suffered so greatly). Former <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/batman">Batman</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/michael-keaton">Michael Keaton</a> plays a washed-up former A-lister fighting against almost constant psychological torment, desperate to prove himself as a “real” actor because his best-known role is that of the titular man-sized avian crime-fighter. His damaged daughter (played waifishly by <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/emma-stone">Emma Stone</a>) tries to persuade him that the Broadway play he is mounting is little more than a vanity project. But Riggan is so terrified at the prospect of finding himself returning to the role of Birdman (to the point that he hallucinates the character urging him back into what is admittedly a very silly suit) that he cannot see the truth.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/after-birdmans-oscars-win-guardians-of-the-galaxy-director-leads-defence-of-superhero-movies">After Birdman's Oscars win, Guardians of the Galaxy director leads defence of superhero movies</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/27/birdman-wrong-about-movie-superheroes">Continue reading...</a>CultureFilmFilm industryScience fiction and fantasyAction and adventureBirdmanBusinessMichael KeatonSuperhero moviesChristopher NolanGuardians of the GalaxyBatmanStar WarsFri, 27 Feb 2015 12:55:30 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/27/birdman-wrong-about-movie-superheroesBen Child2015-02-27T12:55:30ZThe tyranny of Netflix: you must watch this movie. Now!http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/26/netflix-video-on-demand-watch-this-movie
<p>Thanks to video-on-demand, films never go away any more – so when I tell you to watch a weird Austrian cowboy movie, I expect you do it. This week</p><p>Netflix and video-on-demand and Hulu have created immense new pressures on hardcore movie lovers. In the olden days you could tell a friend, “You just have to see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0eFfE8oa98">House of Games</a>; it’s the best scam movie of the year!” or “I will not stop badgering you until you see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZjZGrSh7KA">Nine Queens</a>! It’s the best South American scam movie of the year!”</p><p>And back in the olden days people would reply: “Yeah, sure, I’ll get to it when I get to it.” But then the film would end its theatrical run, so your friends had a legitimate excuse to ignore you. They would assure you that they would get around to seeing that Argentine movie about the bank robber with epilepsy or the French movie about the woman who mistakes a tax attorney for a shrink as soon as it came out on DVD. Or VHS. And that would be the end of it.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/09/joe-carnahan-stretch-patrick-wilson-review">Joe Carnahan's Stretch review: limo drivers are as miserable as the rest of us</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/06/the-interview-review-franco-rogen">The Interview review – Rogen and Franco soon run out of laughs</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/01/only-god-forgives-review">Only God Forgives – review</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/26/netflix-video-on-demand-watch-this-movie">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureNetflixMediaThe InterviewFilm industryThu, 26 Feb 2015 12:19:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/26/netflix-video-on-demand-watch-this-movieJoe Queenan2015-02-26T12:19:05ZOscars 2016: and next year's awards will go to …http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/oscars-2016-and-next-years-awards-will-go-to-
<p>Forget Eddie, Alejandro and Julianne. Get your bets in early with our handy guide to who might be crying on stage next February</p><p>Even though there’s probably an Oscars party that’s still going as we type this, we’ve decided to take an incredibly early look at the race for next year’s awards. With this year’s films showing that an early release, or at least a Sundance push, can be beneficial in kicking off buzz, we can be assured that contenders will come thick and fast from now until the end of the year.</p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-list-of-winners">Check out the full list of winners from this year’s ceremony</a></p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/06/2015-key-movies-films-year-ahead">The 88 movies we're most excited about in 2015</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-10-things-we-learned">Oscars 2015: 10 things we learned</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-adventure-parties-selfies-eddie-redmayne">My Oscars adventure: parties, film cliques and selfies with Eddie Redmayne</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/oscars-2016-and-next-years-awards-will-go-to-">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmCate BlanchettLeonardo DiCaprioAlejandro González IñárrituQuentin TarantinoMichael FassbenderJake GyllenhaalMeryl StreepSteven SpielbergJennifer LawrenceCultureTue, 24 Feb 2015 13:09:16 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/oscars-2016-and-next-years-awards-will-go-to-Benjamin Lee2015-02-24T13:09:16ZThis year's Oscars unmasked Hollywood's most dubious viewshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/academy-strange-relationship-with-race-on-display-oscars-2015
<p>Despite stirring support for the spirit of Selma, and big prizes for Hispanic film-makers, it was the unfortunate throwaway remarks which will linger longest after the 87th Academy Awards</p><p>“Who gave this sonofabitch his green card?” Sean Penn demanded before presenting Mexican film-maker Alejandro Gonz&aacute;lez I&ntilde;&aacute;rritu the best picture Oscar for Birdman, giving a whole new political dimension to the racism of the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/live/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-live-red-carpet-and-arrivals-ceremony-and-winners">87th Annual Academy Awards</a>.</p><p>Penn, who starred in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/96930/21.grams">I&ntilde;&aacute;rritu’s 21 Grams</a> all the way back in 2003, probably thought it was a funny joke with an old friend. But racism from friends assumed to be benign can be the worst kind, especially at an awards show: just<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/29/opinion/the-pain-of-the-watermelon-joke.html"> ask black author Jackie Woodson</a>, whose “friend” used presenting her with a National Book Award <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;ion=1&amp;espv=2&amp;ie=UTF-8#q=jackie+woodson+watermelon+video&amp;tbm=vid">to make a watermelon joke</a>. <br /></p><p>&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/johnlegend">@johnlegend</a>, tonight, gave us a one-person protest. And I'm all for it.&quot; - <a href="https://twitter.com/Nettaaaaaaaa">@Nettaaaaaaaa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars2015?src=hash">#Oscars2015</a></p><p>Octavia Spencer is going to rip out NPH's heart Indiana Jones style if he continues the lock box bit</p><p>Nothing more to say about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericanSniper?src=hash">#AmericanSniper</a>. <a href="http://t.co/Fa9L8vWN6E">pic.twitter.com/Fa9L8vWN6E</a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/academy-strange-relationship-with-race-on-display-oscars-2015">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015SelmaOscarsJohn LegendAwards and prizesFilmCultureRace issuesUS newsUS justice systemMexicoSean PennWorld newsMon, 23 Feb 2015 09:12:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/academy-strange-relationship-with-race-on-display-oscars-2015Steven W Thrasher2015-02-23T09:12:17ZSelma and American Sniper: men depicted in black and white – part twohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/20/selma-american-sniper-film-oscars-race-part-two
<p>In the second part of analysis of the role of race in three of this year’s most celebrated films, Steven W Thrasher focuses on Selma and American Sniper </p><p>When it came to people of color making better lives for themselves, Ava Duvernay, the director of Selma, <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/ava-duvernay-on-making-selma-20150105?page=2">was not</a> “interested in making a white-savior movie”.</p><p>DuVernay did start her film, which centers on Martin Luther King’s role in the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, by focusing on girlhood, opening with the death of four black girls who were <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/16/16th-street-baptist-church-birmingham-alabama-1963">blown up at 16th Street Baptist Church</a>. The scene is a lyrically haunting nightmare of the disregard for the worth of black lives. Yet while it sets in motion the urgency that Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, John Lewis and others feel as they fight for black lives over the next two hours, it is never a revenge film. (American Sniper is similarly set in motion by acts of terrorism, but quickly devolves into a orgiastically pornographic revenge fantasy, waged against the wrong enemy to boot.)</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/boyhood-selma-american-sniper-race-part-one">Boyhood, Selma and American Sniper: race meets masculinity on film – part one</a> </p><p>The problem, according to the opinion makers from Fox News, the Weekly Standard, National Review, and the many right-wing-financed think tanks who seemed to be on endless rotation on the political talk shows after 9/11, was simple: the baleful feminist influence had turned us into a ‘nanny state.’ In the wake of 9/11, a battle needed to be waged between the forces of besieged masculinity and the nursemaids of overweening womanhood<strong> </strong>– or, rather, the ‘vultures’ in the ‘Sisterhood of Grief.’</p><p>In Michael Parenti’s classic anti-imperial analysis of Hollywood movies, he points to the “upside-down” way that the “make-believe media” portrays colonial settlement. In films like Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) or Shaka Zulu (1987), the settler is portrayed as surrounded by “natives”, inverting, in Parenti’s view, the role of aggressor so that colonialism is made to look like self-defense. Indeed, aggression and self-defense are reversed in these movies.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/20/selma-american-sniper-film-oscars-race-part-two">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureRace issuesAmerican SniperBoyhoodSelmaUS newsWorld newsFri, 20 Feb 2015 14:15:48 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/20/selma-american-sniper-film-oscars-race-part-twoSteven W Thrasher2015-02-20T14:15:48ZLet it go? Which movie hero should be punished for their crimes?http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/20/elsa-frozen-fictional-hero-arrested
<p>With an arrest warrant out for Frozen’s Elsa – blamed with the harsh weather in Kentucky – which other movie characters are enjoying their liberty when they ought to be behind bars?</p><p>In an attempt to take minds off subzero weather and perhaps bring a much-needed lighter touch to the public image of the US police force, Kentucky authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Elsa, from Disney’s child-transfixing mega hit <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/frozen">Frozen</a>. The Harlan Police Department posted a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10152648587566485&amp;id=162407336484">bulletin on their Facebook page</a> looking for a “blonde female last seen wearing a long blue dress” in the hopes of defrosting locals with the power of LOL.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/18/disney-film-frozen-generational-icon">My year of warming to Frozen: several million children can't be wrong</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/20/elsa-frozen-fictional-hero-arrested">Continue reading...</a>FrozenFilmSupermanUS weatherKentuckyCultureWalt Disney CompanyAnimationFri, 20 Feb 2015 14:03:24 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/20/elsa-frozen-fictional-hero-arrestedBenjamin Lee2015-02-20T14:03:24ZMalcolm X: Spike Lee's biopic is still absolutely necessaryhttp://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/19/malcolm-x-spike-lee-biopic-black-cinema-selma-the-butler
<p>The film starring Denzel Washington almost didn’t happen over opposition from the Nation of Islam and a lack of financial backing. It overcame to become the most vital civil rights biopic, argues Ashley Clark</p><p>In 1992, 22 years before Ava DuVernay’s Selma – which is, amazingly, the first major cinema release to feature Dr Martin Luther King Jr as a central character – came another Hollywood study of a key 1960s African American political figure. Malcolm X was Spike Lee’s sixth movie. Based on the 1965 autobiography co-written by Malcolm and future Roots creator Alex Haley, it’s a 202-minute, continent-hopping epic boasting a superbly charismatic, Oscar-nominated performance by Denzel Washington as the eponymous activist and orator.</p><p> Divided into three parts, it charts the early days of X (then Malcolm Little) as a zoot-suited ne’er-do-well marauding in Boston and Harlem; the transformative jail years when he converted to Islam; and, finally, his development as a public activist, his relationship with Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett) and his controversial split from the Nation of Islam, which culminated with his assassination at Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom on 21 February 1965. Malcolm X performed solidly at the box office (taking in $48m against a budget of $33m), and was the first major black-authored studio film to offer a three-dimensional portrait of a black leader whose views and actions clashed vigorously with white America.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/06/black-history-month-best-films-watch">Black History Month: the best cinema to watch in February and beyond</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/21/malcolm-x-anniversary-legacy-islam-ideals-humility">Malcolm X's dedication to the truth is something to which all Muslims aspire | Aseel Machi</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/19/malcolm-x-spike-lee-biopic-black-cinema-selma-the-butler">Continue reading...</a>FilmMalcolm XCultureRace issuesSelmaAva DuVernayDenzel WashingtonSpike LeeThu, 19 Feb 2015 13:00:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/19/malcolm-x-spike-lee-biopic-black-cinema-selma-the-butlerAshley Clark2015-02-19T13:00:07ZBoyhood, Selma and American Sniper: race meets masculinity on film – part onehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/boyhood-selma-american-sniper-race-part-one
<p>In the first part of analysis of the role of race in three of this year’s most celebrated films, Steven W Thrasher focuses on Richard Linklater’s tale of a certain type of American boyhood</p><p>I keep thinking about him, about how he is represented on film in one boy and two men: about the sweet face of a young white boy, Mason Evans Jr, <a href="http://www.impawards.com/2014/boyhood_xlg.html">daydreaming against</a> green grass and into the sky; about the rear silhouette of Martin Luther King’s afro, <a href="http://www.impawards.com/intl/uk/2014/selma.html">facing off </a>against a sea of white cops; about the profile of an armed white sniper, Navy Seal Chris Kyle, <a href="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTkxNzI3ODI4Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjkwMjY4MjE@._V1_SX214_AL_.jpg">wrapped in</a> the American flag. </p><p>As film-makers walk down the red carpet this awards season, I keep wondering: what makes a man, or a boy, in the American imagination? How is he constructed, in relation to patriarchy and race? Consider the portrayal of manhood and masculinity in three male-centered American biopics, each up for awards this season: Richard Linklater’s <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/boyhood">Boyhood</a>, Ava DuVernay’s <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/selma">Selma</a>, and Clint Eastwood’s <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/american-sniper">American Sniper</a>.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/20/selma-american-sniper-film-oscars-race-part-two">Selma and American Sniper: men depicted in black and white – part two</a> </p><p>There is only one truly significant interaction with a person of color in the entire plot. In the second half of the film, a Spanish-speaking worker – who is fixing a pipe outside the family’s house – is given words of encouragement by Mason’s mom (the teenage Mason, who is waiting for her in the van, doesn’t observe this).</p><p>We learn a few years later, as Mason is having breakfast with his mother and sister, that her words inspired that man (played by Roland Ruiz) to pursue a college education and that he is now a restaurant manager.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/boyhood-selma-american-sniper-race-part-one">Continue reading...</a>FilmBoyhoodSelmaAmerican SniperOscarsCultureRace issuesThu, 19 Feb 2015 12:00:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/boyhood-selma-american-sniper-race-part-oneSteven W Thrasher2015-02-19T12:00:06ZIs Amazing Grace's take on the slave trade historically accurate?http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/is-amazing-grace-film-historically-accurate-william-wilberforce-abolition-slavery
<p>The adverse effects of the slave trade on white people is the slightly off-kilter payoff of Michael Apted’s stodgy, old-fashioned drama</p><p>• <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/mar/23/drama.periodandhistorical">Peter Bradshaw’s review of Amazing Grace: ‘dull and naive’</a></p><p><strong>Amazing Grace (2006)<br />Director: Michael Apted<br />Entertainment grade: C–<br />History grade: A–</strong></p><p>William Wilberforce was a leading figure in the political campaign to abolish the slave trade in Britain in the late-18th and early-19th centuries.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/is-amazing-grace-film-historically-accurate-william-wilberforce-abolition-slavery">Continue reading...</a>Film adaptationsBenedict CumberbatchBiopicsWilliam WilberforceThu, 19 Feb 2015 11:30:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/is-amazing-grace-film-historically-accurate-william-wilberforce-abolition-slaveryAlex von Tunzelmann2015-02-19T11:30:37ZFifty Shades of Grey: the end, the art, the nipples – discuss the film with spoilershttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/16/fifty-shades-of-grey-spoilers-discuss
<p>Sam Taylor-Johnson’s take on EL James’s BDSM smash was released over Valentine’s weekend. Seen the film and want to talk about the scriptwriting, the cinematography, Jamie Dornan’s bum? Here’s the place <br></p><p>With Valentine’s Day box-office records smashed, the much-anticipated adaptation of EL James’s Fifty Shades of Grey has finally spurted out on audiences, causing awkward post-cinema conversations between couples worldwide.</p><p>If you struggled to talk about it with your other half without entering some dicey territory, here’s a forum for free discussion about the film.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/11/fifty-shades-of-grey-review">Fifty Shades of Grey review – making a bad fist of it | Peter Bradshaw</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/12/fifty-shades-of-grey-movie-no-need-to-get-your-knickers-in-a-twist">Trust me: you needn't get your knickers in a twist over Fifty Shades of Grey</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/16/fifty-shades-of-grey-spoilers-discuss">Continue reading...</a>Fifty Shades of GreyFilmCultureFifty Shades of GreyThrillerEL JamesSam Taylor-JohnsonJamie DornanMon, 16 Feb 2015 12:17:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/16/fifty-shades-of-grey-spoilers-discussBenjamin Lee and Henry Barnes2015-02-16T12:17:04ZOscars 2015: what will win best picture?http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/13/oscars-2015-who-will-win-best-picture
<p>It looks like a straight fight between Birdman and Boyhood – but can any of the other contenders make a dent in the tussle over the biggest Oscar of all?</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/series/oscar-predictions-2015">Read the rest of the Oscar predictions here</a><br></li></ul><p>So it all comes down to this. After three consecutive years of nine nominees in the newly elasticated best picture category, the Academy collectively (albeit not intentionally) elected to dock this year’s field by one. (Foxcatcher, with its surprise best director bid and four nominations besides, appears to have been the unlucky #9 finisher.) This slight shrinking of the roster feels appropriate for a race that has been more closely fought than usual – at least half this year’s best picture nominees have looked like potential winners at one point or another, though it appears to have boiled down to a squeaker between two oppositely-styled independents from the same mini-major studio.</p><p>Since the expansion of the best picture category, there’s been a near-annual slot for the previous year’s big Sundance winner – a tip of the hat to the scrappier strand of “true” independent cinema that has yet to enjoy its big Oscar moment, as opposed to the polished mid-range indies that are now the Academy’s bread and butter. So it is that Whiplash follows in the footsteps of Precious, Winter’s Bone and Beasts of the Southern Wild. And while it could convert a few of its five nominations to gold – JK Simmons has it locked, though I’m betting it will nab wins for adapted screenplay and editing too – most voters will deem the sweaty, shouty drumming drama not quite their tempo in the top category.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/13/oscars-2015-who-will-win-best-picture">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsFoxcatcherWhiplashSundance film festivalJK SimmonsThe Imitation GameThe King's SpeechToronto film festivalBaftasGolden GlobesBaftas 2015Golden Globes 2015Harvey WeinsteinThe Theory of EverythingStephen HawkingAlan TuringMartin Luther KingSelmaDavid OyelowoParamount PicturesInterstellarAmerican SniperClint EastwoodBradley CooperThe Grand Budapest HotelBerlin film festival20th Century FoxBirdmanWes AndersonAlejandro González IñárrituBoyhoodRichard LinklaterAwards and prizesFestivalsFri, 13 Feb 2015 15:53:21 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/13/oscars-2015-who-will-win-best-pictureGuy Lodge2015-02-13T15:53:21ZIs JJ Abrams headed to the CGI dark side for The Force Awakens?http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/09/jj-abrams-cgi-star-wars-the-force-awakens
The director says his forthcoming Stars Wars instalment will use the old-school techniques of the original trilogy along with CGI – here’s hoping he doesn’t throw the entire digital effects department to the sarlacc<p>If the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/nov/28/star-wars-the-force-awakens-teaser-trailer-eight-things-we-learned">hugely popular teaser</a> for Star Wars: The Force Awakens told us one thing, it was that CGI remains just as much a part of the space saga’s special effects box of tricks as it has been since the terrible prequel trilogy. Last year, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy hinted that JJ Abrams would be dispensing with digital techniques in favour of the real sets and models used by the original trilogy that hit cinemas between 1977 and 1983. But if rolling ball droid BB-8 and the new Millennium Falcon drone and X-Wings starfighter were not born on a Mac computer,then my name’s Nute Gunray.</p><p>Now JJ Abrams has confirmed that, far from eschewing CGI altogether, the new movie will adopt a best of both worlds. “I feel like the beauty of this age of film-making is that there are more tools at your disposal, but it doesn’t mean that any of these new tools are automatically the right tools,” <a href="http://collider.com/star-wars-the-force-awakens-jj-abrams-interview/">Abrams told Collider</a>. “And there are a lot of situations where we went very much old school, and in fact used CG more to remove things than to add things.”</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/nov/28/star-wars-the-force-awakens-teaser-trailer-eight-things-we-learned">Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer –&nbsp;eight things we learned</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/09/jj-abrams-cgi-star-wars-the-force-awakens">Continue reading...</a>Star Wars: The Force AwakensJJ AbramsFilmStar WarsScience fiction and fantasyCultureAndy SerkisMon, 09 Feb 2015 17:34:15 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/09/jj-abrams-cgi-star-wars-the-force-awakensBen Child2015-02-09T17:34:15ZFifty Shades Of Grey: has sex in cinema become boring?http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/09/fifty-shades-of-grey-john-patterson
<p>Hollywood’s answer to the sexual excesses of the internet is the steel-and-glass status porn of EL James’s erotic megaseller</p><p>I see the backed-up hunger for the forthcoming <strong>Fifty Shades Of Grey</strong>, with all its palely transgressive, kiss-the-lash sexual provocations, and I ask myself, did the clock just stop? Have we moved one inch into the sexual future since 1975? Is this still all it takes – a virginal naif willing to submit, a power magnate keen to dominate more than just his supine boardroom and stunted workforce, and a fancy set of bedroom restraints – to whip America up into a tumescent frenzy of anticipation?</p><p>I say 1975 advisedly because that seems like the year when Hollywood topped out on what it was prepared to show sexually in the wake of the 1968 MPAA ratings reforms. Even now, even with the NC-17 rating, Hollywood is hard-pressed to match what was sexually acceptable in mid-70s international cinema. In movies like The Damned, The Night Porter and Salon Kitty, it was the Nazis who were the big pervy freaks – cross-dressing, engaging in polymorphous perversity at the drop of a spiked helmet, and offering severed heads in pretty boxes as fond love tokens.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/09/fifty-shades-of-grey-john-patterson">Continue reading...</a>Fifty Shades of GreyFilmCultureFifty Shades of GreyMickey RourkeRichard GereThe Big SleepSome Like It HotMon, 09 Feb 2015 06:00:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/09/fifty-shades-of-grey-john-pattersonJohn Patterson2015-02-09T06:00:09ZBaftas 2015: 10 things we learnedhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/09/baftas-2015-10-things-we-learned-
<p>From the effect on this year’s Oscar race to the ramifications for the future of the monarchy to the fallout for facial hair, here’s our take-homes from this year’s awards</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/09/baftas-2015-winners-acceptance-speeches">See all the winners’ acceptance speeches</a></li></ul><p><strong>The DGA oracle may be on the blink</strong></p><p>Richard Linklater, whose Boyhood won big at Bafta, missed the ceremony to be at the Director’s Guild of America award ceremony. Why? Well, it’s traditionally an eerily accurate soothsayer for the Oscars – over 66 years, just seven best director Oscar winners, and 14 best picture winners, have differed from its choice. </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/08/baftas-2015-birdman-faded-boyhood-surged-peter-bradshaw">Baftas 2015: 'Birdman faded as Boyhood surged' – Peter Bradshaw's verdict</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/08/baftas-2015-list-of-winners-as-it-happens">Baftas 2015: full list of winners</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2015/feb/09/baftas-2015-on-instagram-its-all-about-the-pouts">Baftas 2015 on Instagram: it's all about the pouts</a> </p><p>Every single pic is gorgeous <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenedictandSophie?src=hash">#BenedictandSophie</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EEBAFTAs?src=hash">#EEBAFTAs</a> <a href="http://t.co/D283m8qqMH">pic.twitter.com/D283m8qqMH</a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/09/baftas-2015-10-things-we-learned-">Continue reading...</a>Baftas 2015BaftasStephen FryOscars 2015BoyhoodBirdmanRichard LinklaterAlejandro González IñárrituAwards and prizesMon, 09 Feb 2015 00:16:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/09/baftas-2015-10-things-we-learned-Hadley Freeman, Andrew Pulver, Ben Beaumont-Thomas, Phil Hoad and Catherine Shoard2015-02-09T00:16:56ZHarold from Neighbours wants a good movie role before he dies. Write him onehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/06/harold-from-neighbours-wants-a-good-movie-role-before-he-dies-write-him-one
<p>Ian Smith is now 76 and has told an Australian paper he still has hopes of following in many of his co-stars footsteps and breaking onto the big screen. Let’s help make that happen</p><p>First off, let’s just get one thing straight. Ian Smith is more, much, much more, than Harold Bishop. As he said to the Daily Telegraph in Australia, promoting his and undead Madge’s appearance on the<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/nov/17/madge-and-harold-bishop-to-return-to-neighbours-for-30th-anniversary"> 30th-anniversary show</a>: “In my mind I am still a jobbing actor and I can’t get used to the fuss that is made about Harold.”</p><p>And he has made some movies. He took the title role in 2013’s Granddad, in which he helped out a little girl with her first date. He was Buck Senior in 2009’s The Jesus Spoon, billed as “a grossout comedy about two boys, a dog turd and a decorative spoon that may, or may not, have magical culinary powers”. But both were shorts, not even topping the 10-minute mark. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/06/harold-from-neighbours-wants-a-good-movie-role-before-he-dies-write-him-one">Continue reading...</a>NeighboursDramaSoap operaTelevisionCultureTelevision & radioFri, 06 Feb 2015 12:51:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/06/harold-from-neighbours-wants-a-good-movie-role-before-he-dies-write-him-oneCatherine Shoard2015-02-06T12:51:45ZOpen thread: what should you eat at the cinema?http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/open-thread-what-should-you-eat-at-the-cinema
<p>A new study has found that we each spend around £8 on snacks and other extras at the cinema – so what do you spend it on? And is it all vastly overpriced?</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/uk-cinemas-spending-yougov-survey-popcorn">UK cinemas getting sweet deal as spending on snacks pops up</a></li></ul><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/uk-cinemas-spending-yougov-survey-popcorn">A new YouGov survey</a> has found that when it comes to a cinema trip, we all turn into glucose-lapping, money-flinging loons, spending around &pound;8 each on extras like popcorn and sweets.</p><p>It’s clear that far from everyone cowering at home, streaming films illegally while clutching some out-of-date Milky Way, the cinema experience is something to be embraced more than ever – complete with carefully calibrated snack selection.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/open-thread-what-should-you-eat-at-the-cinema">Continue reading...</a>FilmFood & drinkCultureThu, 05 Feb 2015 11:50:36 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/open-thread-what-should-you-eat-at-the-cinemaGuardian film2015-02-05T11:50:36ZMagic Mike XXL trailer – super-size my Channing, hold the McConaugheyhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/04/magic-mike-xxl-trailer-super-size-my-channing-hold-the-mcconaughey
<p>Channing Tatum has released the first trailer for the Magic Mike sequel, which suggests there may be one or two shots of men without shirts in the finished film – though none of them will be Matthew McConaughey</p><p>Three years ago, Magic Mike became one of those sleeper hits that surprised everyone. Conceived as a vehicle for Channing Tatum to display his dancing skills and his physique (and partially based on his experiences as a stripper), it turned out to be a movie about much more than that. Although, of course, there was lots of male stripping.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/04/magic-mike-xxl-trailer-super-size-my-channing-hold-the-mcconaughey">Continue reading...</a>Magic MikeFilmChanning TatumUS newsDanceStageCultureWorld newsMatthew McConaugheyWed, 04 Feb 2015 17:37:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/04/magic-mike-xxl-trailer-super-size-my-channing-hold-the-mcconaugheyVirgina Cerezo2015-02-04T17:37:00ZInherent Vice walkouts: how to make a film your audience will be dying to leavehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2015/feb/03/inherent-vice-walk-outs-paul-thomas-anderson-movie
<p>Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel is this season’s most baffling experience. What does it take to get people to leave before the credits roll?</p><p>It’s not as easy as it looks to make a great walk-out movie, but Paul Thomas Anderson has cracked it. Inherent Vice is this season’s mustn’t-see experience. “Walked out of Inherent Vice. Understood so little of plot or dialogue, I worried I’d had a stroke”<a href="https://twitter.com/PhilipHensher/status/562004382104166400"> tweeted Philip Hensher</a>.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2015/feb/03/inherent-vice-walk-outs-paul-thomas-anderson-movie">Continue reading...</a>Inherent ViceFilmPaul Thomas AndersonTue, 03 Feb 2015 16:54:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2015/feb/03/inherent-vice-walk-outs-paul-thomas-anderson-movieSteve Rose2015-02-03T16:54:06ZJurassic World and other Super Bowl XLIX movie trailers reviewedhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/01/jurassic-world-and-other-super-bowl-xlix-movie-trailers-reviewed
<p>From Tomorrowland to Terminator Genisys, the year’s blockbusters were previewed on the biggest TV night of the year. Here’s what we learned</p><p>This year, five film studios have paid an estimated $4.5m a shot to preview their biggest new movies in the Super Bowl ad breaks. There was no Batman V Superman, but we did get a bumper selection of explosions, robots and – in the most hotly anticipated trailer, genetically modified dinosaurs.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/01/jurassic-world-and-other-super-bowl-xlix-movie-trailers-reviewed">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureSuper Bowl XLIXGeorge ClooneyMon, 02 Feb 2015 03:52:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/01/jurassic-world-and-other-super-bowl-xlix-movie-trailers-reviewedAlex Needham2015-02-02T03:52:45Z'A golden shining moment': the true story behind Atari's ET, the worst video game everhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/30/a-golden-shining-moment-the-true-story-behind-et-the-worst-video-game-ever
<p>Legend has it that millions of copies of Atari’s tie-in with the sci-fi blockbuster were secretly buried in New Mexico after the game was branded a stinker. A new documentary, Atari: Game Over, goes digging for the truth</p><p>On 22 September1983, in the dead of night, 13 trucks were driven to a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and their contents emptied. Everything was buried and concreted. And that should have been that. But it wasn’t. </p><p>A few days later, scavengers arrived and found some Atari ET video games. Word got out. The tie-in product had been released to much fanfare the previous December, but had gained a reputation as a stinker. Now, here in New Mexico, as legend began to have it, were millions of them, unloved, unsold, underground. The game, many believed, was responsible for Atari’s sudden downfall, and the company had physically buried its shame. Years later, the internet decreed ET to be the worst video game of all time. Over and over again.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/30/a-golden-shining-moment-the-true-story-behind-et-the-worst-video-game-ever">Continue reading...</a>FilmDocumentaryGamesCultureTechnologyET: The Extra-TerrestrialNew MexicoFri, 30 Jan 2015 16:41:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/30/a-golden-shining-moment-the-true-story-behind-et-the-worst-video-game-everAlex Godfrey2015-01-30T16:41:11ZThe film that makes me cry: The Diving Bell and the Butterflyhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/mar/02/the-film-that-makes-me-cry-the-diving-bell-and-the-butterfly
<p>In the first of a new series, Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw stifles his sobs to tell us why he finds the Mathieu Amalric drama so upsetting – and why he’s not afraid to say so</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/mar/02/the-film-that-makes-me-cry-the-diving-bell-and-the-butterfly">Continue reading...</a>The Diving Bell and the ButterflyMax von SydowDramaFilm adaptationsBooksCultureMon, 02 Mar 2015 11:02:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/mar/02/the-film-that-makes-me-cry-the-diving-bell-and-the-butterflyPeter Bradshaw2015-03-02T11:02:10ZBlade Runner 2: 10 things to hope forhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/27/blade-runner-2-harrison-ford-ridley-scott-10-things-to-hope-for
<p>The sequel to the sci-fi masterpiece has Harrison Ford and Ridley Scott on board as producer, so what magic might we look forward to?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/27/blade-runner-2-harrison-ford-ridley-scott-10-things-to-hope-for">Continue reading...</a>Blade RunnerHarrison FordRidley ScottScience fiction and fantasyCultureScience fictionSpecial effectsFri, 27 Feb 2015 15:21:44 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/27/blade-runner-2-harrison-ford-ridley-scott-10-things-to-hope-forAlex Godfrey2015-02-27T15:21:44ZLiam Neeson's special set of skills has forced other ageing actors into traininghttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/26/liam-neeson-taken-3-sean-penn-the-gunman
<p>The 62-year-old is back with yet another running-about thriller, and hot on his heels is Sean Penn’s Taken-esque The Gunman, featuring topless surfing. Has Neeson’s success meant his peers must attend action star bootcamp? </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/26/liam-neeson-taken-3-sean-penn-the-gunman">Continue reading...</a>Liam NeesonFilmTaken 3Sean PennKevin CostnerNicolas CageLuc BessonCulturePierce BrosnanNon-StopJoeDraft DayThe November ManThu, 26 Feb 2015 10:17:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/26/liam-neeson-taken-3-sean-penn-the-gunmanBenjamin Lee2015-02-26T10:17:20ZThe curse of Oscarbait: the films you didn't see last Sundayhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/the-curse-of-oscarbait-the-films-you-didnt-see-last-sunday
<p>From that Grace Kelly biopic to The Artist director’s follow-up, here are the films that fell by the wayside before this year’s Oscars</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/the-curse-of-oscarbait-the-films-you-didnt-see-last-sunday">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmUnbrokenBig EyesTrashGrace of MonacoNicole KidmanSuite FrançaiseMichelle WilliamsAngelina JolieStephen DaldryThe SearchMichel HazanaviciusBérénice BejoAmy AdamsChristoph WaltzTim BurtonCultureWed, 25 Feb 2015 16:22:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/the-curse-of-oscarbait-the-films-you-didnt-see-last-sundayBenjamin Lee2015-02-25T16:22:50ZDisney debuts Frozen sequel trailer: short film centres on Elsa catching a coldhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/25/frozen-sequel-trailer-debuts-short-film-centres-on-elsa-catching-a-cold
<p>Your first look at Frozen Fever, the bite-sized followup to the smash hit animation, which has previewed online</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/25/frozen-sequel-trailer-debuts-short-film-centres-on-elsa-catching-a-cold">Continue reading...</a>FrozenFilmCultureCinderella (2015)Walt Disney CompanyAnimationWed, 25 Feb 2015 16:02:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/25/frozen-sequel-trailer-debuts-short-film-centres-on-elsa-catching-a-coldBenjamin Lee2015-02-25T16:02:03ZFifty Shades of payday: film is highest-earning 18-certificate everhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/24/fifty-shades-of-payday-film-is-highest-earning-18-certificate-ever
<p>Tight grip maintained on UK box office as Sam Taylor-Johnson’s S&amp;M tale whips past The Wolf of Wall Street to claim record – and there’s good news for Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Never Beast</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/24/fifty-shades-of-payday-film-is-highest-earning-18-certificate-ever">Continue reading...</a>FilmFilm industryCultureAnimationDramaComedyAction and adventureScience fiction and fantasyFifty Shades of GreyBig Hero 6Shaun the Sheep the MovieKingsman: The Secret ServiceThe Wedding RingerThe Theory of EverythingJupiter AscendingAmerican SniperBlackhatCakeThe Duke of BurgundyMaidanPredestinationComedyEthan HawkeJamie DimonJamie DornanTue, 24 Feb 2015 16:38:43 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/24/fifty-shades-of-payday-film-is-highest-earning-18-certificate-everCharles Gant2015-02-24T16:38:43ZNo space jockeys, no time travel: five things the new Alien film should avoidhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/24/no-space-jockeys-no-time-travel-five-things-the-new-alien-film-should-avoid
<p>Director Neill Blomkamp is inheriting a rich but sometimes troubled film franchise – here are a few ways he can steer clear of his predecessor’s missteps</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/24/no-space-jockeys-no-time-travel-five-things-the-new-alien-film-should-avoid">Continue reading...</a>Science fiction and fantasyCultureFilmAlienSigourney WeaverJames CameronDavid FincherNeill BlomkampTue, 24 Feb 2015 10:57:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/24/no-space-jockeys-no-time-travel-five-things-the-new-alien-film-should-avoidBen Child2015-02-24T10:57:17ZOscars 2015: a masterclass in how to beat the orchestra send-off musichttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-a-masterclass-in-how-to-beat-the-orchestra-send-off-music
<p>Last night’s Academy Awards featured not just one but two instances of winners forcing the orchestra to abandon attempts to evict them from the stage. How do these measure up against history’s finest examples?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-a-masterclass-in-how-to-beat-the-orchestra-send-off-music">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsIdaJulia RobertsAwards and prizesFilmCultureFilm industryMon, 23 Feb 2015 16:53:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-a-masterclass-in-how-to-beat-the-orchestra-send-off-musicCatherine Shoard2015-02-23T16:53:41ZOscars 2015: 10 things we learnedhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-10-things-we-learned
<p>From a touchy-feely John Travolta to the waning power of the Oscars orchestra, here’s 10 takeaways from last night’s ceremony</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-10-things-we-learned">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsFilmCultureAwards and prizesReese WitherspoonJohn TravoltaNeil Patrick HarrisJK SimmonsLady GagaMon, 23 Feb 2015 15:08:18 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-10-things-we-learnedGuardian Staff2015-02-23T15:08:18ZBirdman takes flight but Boyhood suffers growing pains at Oscarshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-birdman-takes-flight-but-boyhood-suffers-growing-pains
<p>Alejandro González Iñárritu’s fantasia of mid-life crisis came out on top, but surely it’s an injustice that Boyhood failed to win best picture</p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/birdman-wins-big-two-oscars-but-ties-with-grand-budapest-hotel-for-awards-tally">Oscars 2015: Birdman wins big</a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-birdman-takes-flight-but-boyhood-suffers-growing-pains">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsFilmNeil Patrick HarrisSelmaDavid OyelowoRichard LinklaterBoyhoodPatricia ArquetteBirdmanAlejandro González IñárrituMichael KeatonJulianne MooreStill AliceEddie RedmayneThe Theory of EverythingAwards and prizesCultureStephen HawkingJK SimmonsWhiplashThe Imitation GameBenedict CumberbatchIdaWorld cinemaCitizenfourDocumentaryThe Grand Budapest HotelWes AndersonMon, 23 Feb 2015 11:51:16 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-birdman-takes-flight-but-boyhood-suffers-growing-painsPeter Bradshaw2015-02-23T11:51:16ZOscars 2015: The red carpet, ceremony and reaction as it happenedhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/live/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-live-red-carpet-and-arrivals-ceremony-and-winners
<p>It was the year that Birdman triumphed – but all the best picture nominees left with something. Relive all the best dresses, tuxes, speeches, tweets and memes</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/live/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-live-red-carpet-and-arrivals-ceremony-and-winners">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsFilmFashionAwards and prizesCultureLife and styleAmerican SniperBirdmanBoyhoodThe Grand Budapest HotelThe Imitation GameSelmaThe Theory of EverythingWhiplashPatricia ArquetteKeira KnightleyEmma StoneMeryl StreepRobert DuvallEthan HawkeEdward NortonMark RuffaloJK SimmonsMarion CotillardFelicity JonesRosamund PikeJulianne MooreReese WitherspoonBenedict CumberbatchSteve CarellBradley CooperMichael KeatonEddie RedmayneMon, 23 Feb 2015 07:54:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/live/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-live-red-carpet-and-arrivals-ceremony-and-winnersStuart Heritage, Hadley Freeman, Peter Bradshaw, Imogen Fox, Hannah Marriott, Rory Carroll, Ben Beaumont-Thomas, Benjamin Lee , Steven W ThrasherHenry Barnes, Catherine Shoard2015-02-23T07:54:41ZThe good, the bad and the John Travolta … the Oscars according to Twitterhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/the-good-the-bad-and-the-john-travolta-the-oscars-according-to-twitter
<p>All the reaction to last night’s ceremony – in tweets </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/the-good-the-bad-and-the-john-travolta-the-oscars-according-to-twitter">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmTwitterNeil Patrick HarrisInternetCultureMediaBloggingDigital mediaJohn TravoltaOscarsUS newsPatricia ArquetteMeryl StreepJoan RiversMon, 23 Feb 2015 07:15:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/the-good-the-bad-and-the-john-travolta-the-oscars-according-to-twitterBenjamin Lee2015-02-23T07:15:07ZBest picture nominees reworked as emojis on Twitterhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/best-picture-nominees-emojis
<p>Twitter user tells the story of tonight’s big movies via emojis</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/best-picture-nominees-emojis">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmTwitterEmojiBloggingCultureDigital mediaInternetMediaNewspapers & magazinesOscarsUS newsAwards and prizesWorld newsTechnologyMon, 23 Feb 2015 00:12:52 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/23/best-picture-nominees-emojisBenjamin Lee2015-02-23T00:12:52ZOscars 2015: our final predictions on who will win the big prizeshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-predictions-our-final-tips-on-who-will-win-tonights-awards
<p>The Oscars kick off this evening – and you can follow the action with us from 2pm PT, 5pm ET and 10pm GMT. Here’s our final predictions in the key categories<br></p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/live/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-live-red-carpet-and-arrivals-ceremony-and-winners">Follow our live coverage of the Oscars 2015</a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-predictions-our-final-tips-on-who-will-win-tonights-awards">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsFilmCultureBoyhoodWhiplashBirdmanThe Imitation GameThe Theory of EverythingInto the WoodsWildFoxcatcherSelmaGolden GlobesAwards and prizesBaftas 2015The Grand Budapest HotelAmerican SniperSun, 22 Feb 2015 21:49:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-predictions-our-final-tips-on-who-will-win-tonights-awardsAndrew Pulver2015-02-22T21:49:17ZWhere and how to watch the 2015 Oscars around the worldhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/20/where-how-watch-oscars-around-the-world
<p>Planning on staying up late? Or getting up early? Or just viewing at a civilised hour? Here’s where you can watch this year’s ceremony, wherever you are in the world</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/20/where-how-watch-oscars-around-the-world">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmTelevisionCultureTelevision & radioFri, 20 Feb 2015 17:45:44 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/20/where-how-watch-oscars-around-the-worldBenjamin Lee2015-02-20T17:45:44ZOscars 2015: Birdman and Boyhood set for a sumo contesthttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/20/oscars-2015-boyhood-birdman-contest-richard-linklater-inarritu
<p>I’ll be on tenterhooks on Sunday night, hoping Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age classic gets the attention it deserves – though will Birdman’s Iñárritu take off with the best director gong? It’s all to play for as the ceremony nears<br></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/20/oscars-2015-boyhood-birdman-contest-richard-linklater-inarritu">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsBoyhoodRichard LinklaterPatricia ArquetteAlejandro González IñárrituBirdmanMichael KeatonEddie RedmayneFelicity JonesThe Theory of EverythingStephen HawkingMaxine PeakeAwards and prizesFilmCultureSteve CarellFoxcatcherDavid OyelowoJulianne MooreStill AliceMarion CotillardTwo Days, One NightJK SimmonsWhiplashPaul Thomas AndersonInherent ViceThomas PynchonFilm adaptationsLeviathanIdaThe Lego MovieAnimationUnder The SkinBooksFri, 20 Feb 2015 15:43:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/20/oscars-2015-boyhood-birdman-contest-richard-linklater-inarrituPeter Bradshaw2015-02-20T15:43:11ZSameena Jabeen Ahmed: ‘Cannes? I don’t see what the fuss is about’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/sameena-jabeen-ahmed-interview-catch-me-daddy
The first-time actor from Manchester, star of the British thriller Catch Me Daddy, isn’t letting the glamour of the movie industry go to her head<p>“It was good. It was nice. It was… sunny.” This is <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/jan/22/catch-me-daddy-exclusive-trailer-video">Sameena Jabeen Ahmed</a> talking about the world’s most glamorous film festival, which she attended for the first time last May. She was at Cannes for the premiere of the British thriller <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/16/cannes-2014-catch-me-daddy-review"><em>Catch Me Daddy</em></a>, but the first-time actor from Manchester, who plays a lead in the film, wasn’t letting the glitz go to her head. “I still to this day don’t see what all the fuss is about,” she says when we meet at a hotel in central London.</p><p>But didn’t the film get a prolonged standing ovation at <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/cannes-2014">Cannes</a>? Wasn’t that exciting?</p><p>She’d love to do more acting work, but is still coaching full-time at the youth centre</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/sameena-jabeen-ahmed-interview-catch-me-daddy">Continue reading...</a>Catch Me DaddyDramaThrillerFilmCultureSun, 01 Mar 2015 08:30:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/sameena-jabeen-ahmed-interview-catch-me-daddyKillian Fox2015-03-01T08:30:01ZHalle Berry: ‘If an Oscar winner tells you they can pick out hits, they’re lying!’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/halle-berry-oscar-winner-interview
Still the only black woman to have won the best actress Oscar, Berry talks about frankly about the difficulty of finding great characters to play and her feelings about the state of the film industry<p><strong>Hi Halle. Your film </strong><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/oct/02/halle-berry-frankie-and-alice" title=""><strong>Frankie and Alice</strong></a><strong>, about a woman with a multiple personality disorder, is coming out after having been on the shelf since 2009 <u>(1)</u>. Can you even remember making it?</strong><br />Oh, absolutely. When something is that important to you, and you put your blood, sweat and tears into it, I doubt you’ll ever forget it. My first meeting with Alice <strong><u>(2)</u></strong>, the day I got to work with Phylicia Rashad who I just absolutely adored, the day Stellan Skarsg&aring;rd and I did our first scene together... When people say: ‘there’s no way you’re going to make a little movie about this subject no one cares about’, I think you remember every step of the way.</p><p><strong>Is it hard to make this kind of mid-budget film nowadays?</strong><br />If you have an artistic itch, and there’s a story you want to tell, you go on that journey and do it anyway. And if only five people see it, it’s worth taking the time to make the journey, to do the art. If for no other reason than to get it out of your own system. The value for me wasn’t tied to the box office in any way. These little movies are hard to do, people don’t always want to see them. My feeling of success was from the sheer accomplishment of meeting a woman, being inspired, saying I’m going to make a movie about a dark subject and shedding some light on it. And challenging myself to get it done. That was my reward – to do something I set out to do.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/oct/02/halle-berry-frankie-and-alice">Can playing a racist restore Halle Berry's mojo?</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/halle-berry-oscar-winner-interview">Continue reading...</a>Halle BerryFilmRace issuesWorld newsCultureDramaThu, 26 Feb 2015 14:39:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/halle-berry-oscar-winner-interviewBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-02-26T14:39:50ZDev Patel: ‘I didn't know what I was getting myself into’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/21/dev-patel-didn-t-know-what-getting-into-slumdog-marigold-hotel
<p>The global success of Slumdog Millionaire thrust the schoolboy (and his girlfriend Freida Pinto) into the limelight. But has fame been good to him? Seven years on, he talks break-ups, beards and typecasting. Portraits: Paul Farrell. Styling: Aradia Crockett</p><p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2353862/">Dev Patel</a> is tugging away at his hair – his new, unruly, GQ-ish hair – and asking the Guardian photographer which beard oil to buy. The once dorky kid from <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jan/09/slumdog-millionaire-review-danny-boyle">Slumdog Millionaire</a>, with the wobbly Indian accent and the Oscar team win, is posing gamely in pyjamas in a cramped room in Soho, London, looking very little like the Dev Patel you remember. He’s taller, for one thing. Broader. Beardier. He’s definitely got a swagger on. Is this his man-over?</p><p>“It’s for a film,” he explains when we sit down, his arms and legs origamied on a hotel sofa. “My parents hate it, they think I look too messy. I think I’ll get stopped four more times than usual at airports now.” He giggles. “I’m not sure I should keep it.”</p><p>Freida has been one of the most impactful people on my life. A lot of my motivation has come from her</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/21/dev-patel-didn-t-know-what-getting-into-slumdog-marigold-hotel">Continue reading...</a>FilmThe Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelSlumdog MillionaireOscarsAwards and prizesMen's fashionFashionSkinsBFIThe NewsroomDramaUS televisionLife and styleSat, 21 Feb 2015 08:00:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/21/dev-patel-didn-t-know-what-getting-into-slumdog-marigold-hotelNosheen Iqbal2015-02-21T08:00:01ZIt Follows: ‘Love and sex are ways we can push death away’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/21/it-follows-teen-horror-movie
<p>There’s a monster on the loose in this teen horror, and the only way to escape it is through sex. Some teen themes are eternal, says director David Robert Mitchell</p><p>Youth culture moves fast, and Hollywood barely makes an effort to keep up. Year after year, a host of screenwriters line up to offer their best approximations of the adolescent experience, most of them drawn from reminiscences some 20 years past their sell-by date.</p><p>At first glance, a few might pass for contemporary, but the devil is in the details: any time you see a teenage character onscreen, drooling over a porn magazine, asking a member of the opposite sex for their phone number, or hanging out at the arcade, you can be sure they were the product of a mind too frazzled to fully appreciate the significance of PornHub, WhatsApp and Candy Crush Saga to today’s 16-year-olds.</p><p>I made the film intentionally to be open to lots of different interpretations</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/21/it-follows-teen-horror-movie">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureHorrorTeenageSat, 21 Feb 2015 09:00:34 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/21/it-follows-teen-horror-movieCharlie Lyne2015-02-21T09:00:34ZNightcrawler director Dan Gilroy: 'It was harrowing'http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/nightcrawler-director-dan-gilroy-it-was-harrowing
<p>The Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director talks about starving Jake Gyllenhaal, rampant capitalism and why the news is becoming more violent</p><p><strong>Are you looking forward to Oscar night?</strong></p><p>Yeah, I’m gonna go with Rene [Russo – Gilroy’s wife, who plays Nightcrawler’s TV news director Nina] and my daughter Rose, and I’m just gonna soak it in and enjoy it. It doesn’t matter if I win or not, I’ve already won in the sense of the response to the film, so I’m looking forward to it being a nice night.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/nightcrawler-director-dan-gilroy-it-was-harrowing">Continue reading...</a>NightcrawlerFilmOscars 2015Jake GyllenhaalIslamic State (Isis)World newsMediaCultureThu, 19 Feb 2015 18:31:33 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/nightcrawler-director-dan-gilroy-it-was-harrowingAlex Godfrey2015-02-19T18:31:33ZHow two British short film-makers turned rejection into an Oscars nodhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/from-burger-ads-to-oscar-nomination-the-phone-call
<p>Commercials for KFC and Adele helped Mat Kirkby and James Lucas pay for their moving short film The Phone Call, starring Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent. Now will Hollywood pick up?</p><p>‘We’re in the room now. I’ve been knocking on doors for years, trying to get things made, and ever since the Oscar nomination, pretty much everyone whose doors I’ve been knocking on has invited me in.” So says Mat Kirkby, director of The Phone Call, a contender for best live-action short film. Along with his co-writer and producer James Lucas, Kirkby is heading out for a bit-part role in Sunday’s awards-show extravaganza, but it’s one that can change a career practically overnight.</p><p>For example: the nominees luncheon. To the uninitiated, it may look simply like the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2015/feb/03/oscars-2015-nominee-luncheon-clint-eastwood-julianne-moore">world’s biggest photo opportunity</a>, but for the tyro film-maker, it’s an unparalleled opportunity to make their pitch to Hollywood’s gilded elite without feeling the heavy hand of a chucker-out on their shoulder. They may, as Kirkby says, have a “zero-buck budget” for an actual Oscar campaign, but the run-up to the ceremony is a once-in-a-lifetime window to forge their futures. With scripts under their arms, and the likes of Clint Eastwood, Oprah Winfrey and Bradley Cooper in their eyelines, Kirkby and Lucas know that they need to make the off-stage action count before the drawbridge goes up again.<br /></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/from-burger-ads-to-oscar-nomination-the-phone-call">Continue reading...</a>Short filmsOscars 2015Sally HawkinsJim BroadbentFestivalsFilmCultureFilm industryBusinessOscarsAwards and prizesThu, 19 Feb 2015 18:36:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/from-burger-ads-to-oscar-nomination-the-phone-callAndrew Pulver2015-02-19T18:36:08ZMichael Mann: the crime drama kingpin on murder and malwarehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/16/michael-mann-blackhat-chris-hemsworth
<p>With Miami Vice and Heat he defined the genre in its contemporary form. Unsurprisingly he’s not short of a great anecdote<br></p><p>Shimmering neon reflected on the spotless bonnets of expensive sports cars. Sleek speedboats piloted across ice-blue water by Armani-clad criminals with strict moral codes. Bone-weary cops who view their underworld adversaries with professional respect. That’s far from the totality of Michael Mann’s career, but it sums up the stylish world with which his name is synonymous. For over three decades, the director has painted both small and large screens with beautifully lit pictures that dwell on the violent lives of terse, tough men. Men the calibre of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/17/heat-crime">Heat</a>, James Caan in Thief, Tom Cruise in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/aug/31/tomcruise">Collateral</a>, and even Don Johnson, who may have sported pastels in Miami Vice, but was a man with a guarded exterior who weighed his words.</p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/19/thor-dark-world-chris-hemsworth">Chris Hemsworth</a>, who plays the hacker at the centre of Mann’s latest film, Blackhat, may use codes and viruses rather than glass-cutters and sub-machine guns, but he fits perfectly into the director’s archetype of a male lead: stoic, unsentimental and dispassionate. Yet real-life events suggest that maybe this archetype isn’t as reliable as it used to be. In the US, Blackhat debuted a week after North Korea temporarily crippled Sony Pictures, an action of massive consequence without a steel-jawed hero anywhere near it. I ask Mann whether he watched what happened to The Interview and experienced a degree of trepidation for his own release. The 71-year-old director waves away the question like a mosquito buzzing around his face.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/16/michael-mann-blackhat-chris-hemsworth">Continue reading...</a>BlackhatFilmCultureThrillerMon, 16 Feb 2015 09:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/16/michael-mann-blackhat-chris-hemsworthJonathan Bernstein2015-02-16T09:00:03ZJames Franco on Sony, sexuality and self-imagehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/12/james-franco-pushing-limits-the-interview-i-am-michael
<p>After his gross-out satire The Interview threatened to trigger a third world war, the actor/director/artist/novelist shot a subtle drama about a gay activist who becomes a straight pastor. He talks about pushing the limits</p><p>“James Franco plays gay!” is not an announcement that would qualify as a marmalade-dropper. The actor has taken on enough gay parts (including Allen Ginsberg in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/134065/howl">Howl</a> and the activist Scott Smith in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/milk">Milk</a>) and addressed gay themes so frequently in his own directing work (such as <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/aug/11/james-franco-porn-documentary">Sal</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/153644/interior.-leather-bar.">Interior. Leather Bar.</a>) that he has arguably passed through the rumour barrier and emerged out the other side. Where more circumspect performers invite speculation through their very cautiousness, there can be few people who even care any more about whether or not Franco is gay.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/25/sundance-2015-review-i-am-michael-james-franco">Sundance 2015 review: I Am Michael –&nbsp;James Franco's gay pastor shallow</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/28/james-franco-sony-hack-sick-the-interview-i-am-michael">James Franco: 'Sony hack made me sick'</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/12/james-franco-pushing-limits-the-interview-i-am-michael">Continue reading...</a>James FrancoFilmCultureThe InterviewLGBT rightsReligionSundance film festivalSundance film festival 2015Berlin film festival 2015Sony PicturesSeth RogenFilm industryThu, 12 Feb 2015 17:53:43 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/12/james-franco-pushing-limits-the-interview-i-am-michaelRyan Gilbey2015-02-12T17:53:43ZBill Nighy: ‘I’m greedy for beauty’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/08/bill-nighy-interview-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel
<p>Impeccably dressed and naturally convivial, Bill Nighy is happiest in his own company. He talks to Nigel Farndale about football, staring at trees and riding a motorbike with Judi Dench</p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/profile/billnighy">Bill Nighy</a> has suggested we meet in Notting Hill, in a caf&eacute; run by an Italian family who really know their coffee. His ritual is to come here for an espresso on his way to his favourite Indian restaurant nearby, where he likes to sit and eat on his own while reading a book. But even if he wasn’t a regular here, I suspect he would still be recognised by the waiters, because he never tries to disguise himself in public. On the contrary, he always seems to look like someone doing an impersonation of Bill Nighy.</p><p>It’s to do with his black-framed glasses and the bespoke navy suits he wears over open-necked shirts. Today he arrives in an overcoat and midnight-blue silk scarf with white polka dots, which also seems very Bill Nighy. He wears these elegant clothes well<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2013/mar/29/50-best-dressed-over-50s">,</a> but doesn’t he ever feel like dressing more casually? Putting on a T-shirt and jumper? “Actually,” he says in that mellow and unhurried voice of his, “I never wore T-shirts even when I was supposed to wear them. Never felt I had the right shape. Couldn’t do a T-shirt justice. And I don’t do unshaven well either. It makes me look like someone about to have a breakdown.”</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/08/bill-nighy-interview-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel">Continue reading...</a>The Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelFilmBill NighyCultureLove ActuallyPrideSun, 08 Feb 2015 08:15:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/08/bill-nighy-interview-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotelNigel Farndale2015-02-08T08:15:10ZThat Sugar Film: how 60 days of eating ‘health food’ led to fatty liver diseasehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/that-sugar-film-how-60-days-eating-health-food-led-fatty-liver-disease
<p>Australian documentary maker Damon Gameau cracks open the refined sugars hidden in so-called ‘healthy’ packaged food in a gonzo activist mission to map his own mental and physical disintegration</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/that-sugar-film-how-60-days-eating-health-food-led-fatty-liver-disease">Continue reading...</a>Australian filmDocumentaryCultureFood & drinkFood & drink industryHealthHealth & wellbeingFilmTue, 03 Mar 2015 02:22:53 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/that-sugar-film-how-60-days-eating-health-food-led-fatty-liver-diseaseLuke Buckmaster2015-03-03T02:22:53ZIndia’s Daughter: ‘I made a film on rape in India. Men’s brutal attitudes truly shocked me’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/indias-daughter-documentary-rape-delhi-women-indian-men-attitudes
Leslee Udwin spent two years making a documentary on the horrific rape and killing of young medical student Jyoti Singh. And it asks, has the attack really spurred a sea change for gender equality in India? <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/indias-daughter-documentary-rape-delhi-women-indian-men-attitudes">Continue reading...</a>DocumentaryIndiaRapeWomenEqualityCultureSex educationGenderFilmSun, 01 Mar 2015 00:05:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/01/indias-daughter-documentary-rape-delhi-women-indian-men-attitudesYvonne Roberts2015-03-01T00:05:03ZWyrmwood: have you seen Australia's most pirated movie yet?http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/wyrmwood-australias-most-pirated-movie
<p>Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner’s zombie flick breaks all the rules, not least in offering screenings-to-order – just as well given its illegal download count</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/wyrmwood-australias-most-pirated-movie">Continue reading...</a>Science fiction and fantasyHorrorFilmCultureFilm industryWyrmwood: Road of the DamnedBusinessTue, 24 Feb 2015 23:47:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/wyrmwood-australias-most-pirated-movieLuke Buckmaster2015-02-24T23:47:37ZOscars 2015: why this year's nominees are about the sublime, not the ridiculoushttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-sublime-cinema-mr-turner-birdman-boyhood
<p>From Boyhood to Birdman, Mr Turner to Wild, this year’s Academy Awards are in thrall to powers we can barely comprehend. But why have film-makers starting thinking so big?</p><ul><li>Follow the action from tonight’s Oscars with us from 2pm PT, 5pm ET and 10pm GMT</li></ul> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-sublime-cinema-mr-turner-birdman-boyhood">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015Mike LeighBirdman2001: A Space OdysseyMr TurnerWildAwards and prizesInterstellarReese WitherspoonBoyhoodThe Theory of EverythingFilmCultureSun, 22 Feb 2015 13:00:16 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-sublime-cinema-mr-turner-birdman-boyhoodThomas McMullan2015-02-22T13:00:16ZEddie Murphy: ‘Not a lot of people have footage of themselves dancing with Michael Jackson in clouds’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/30-minutes-with-eddie-murphy-michael-jackson
<p>The comedian-actor-musician on his new reggae single Oh Jah Jah, making music with Rick James and why Beverly Hills Cop 4 is taking so long<br><br></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/30-minutes-with-eddie-murphy-michael-jackson">Continue reading...</a>Eddie MurphyMusicCultureFilmComedyComedyMichael JacksonThu, 19 Feb 2015 16:45:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/30-minutes-with-eddie-murphy-michael-jacksonTshepo Mokoena2015-02-19T16:45:10ZWill Smith: when you look at Margot Robbie and me you don't think love story – videohttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/18/will-smith-and-margot-robbie-focus-interview-video
The Australian actress Margot Robbie and American actor Will Smith talk about their latest film, Focus, and their unlikely on-screen chemistry. Both actors say they were sceptical at first about whether they would be a believable pairing <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/18/will-smith-and-margot-robbie-focus-interview-video">Continue reading...</a>FilmWill SmithComedyDramaWorld newsWed, 18 Feb 2015 07:05:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/18/will-smith-and-margot-robbie-focus-interview-videoGuardian Staff2015-02-18T07:05:00ZStill Alice is ‘shockingly accurate’ – people living with dementia give their verdicthttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/10/still-alice-alzheimers-accurate-dementia-sufferers-verdict
<p>Julianne Moore is an Oscar favourite for her portrayal of a woman with dementia in Still Alice. But what do people with the condition think of the film?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/10/still-alice-alzheimers-accurate-dementia-sufferers-verdict">Continue reading...</a>Still AliceAlzheimer'sMental healthCultureJulianne MooreDramaFilmAgeingCarersHealthSocietyTue, 10 Feb 2015 18:33:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/10/still-alice-alzheimers-accurate-dementia-sufferers-verdictTom Seymour2015-02-10T18:33:02ZLaura Poitras on Citizenfour, Edward Snowden and whistleblowershttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/10/laura-poitras-on-citizenfour-edward-snowden-and-whistleblowers
<p>As her Bafta-winning documentary opens in Australia, the director reflects on the past 18 months and the possibility of further stories about Australia’s role in global surveillance</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/10/laura-poitras-on-citizenfour-edward-snowden-and-whistleblowers">Continue reading...</a>CitizenfourDocumentaryFilmEdward SnowdenSurveillanceAustralian security and counter-terrorismAustralia newsCultureTue, 10 Feb 2015 04:19:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/10/laura-poitras-on-citizenfour-edward-snowden-and-whistleblowersInterview by Paul Farrell2015-02-10T04:19:56ZMichael Keaton on the Bafta red carpethttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/08/michael-keaton-bafta-red-carpet
Birdman star Michael Keaton is having fun on the Bafta red carpet and, of the films up for awards glory tonight, supports Leviathan, which is nominated in the category of film not in the English language <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/08/michael-keaton-bafta-red-carpet">Continue reading...</a>Baftas 2015FilmMichael KeatonBirdmanCultureSun, 08 Feb 2015 21:12:39 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/08/michael-keaton-bafta-red-carpetRichard Peppiatt and Tom Jenkinson2015-02-08T21:12:39ZEddie Redmayne on the Bafta red carpethttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/08/eddie-redmayne-bafta-red-carpet
Eddie Redmayne, the star of Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything, talks to the Guardian on the Bafta red carpet about the excitement of being at the Baftas, his relationship with the scientist and their coordinated velvet outfits <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/08/eddie-redmayne-bafta-red-carpet">Continue reading...</a>Baftas 2015FilmEddie RedmayneThe Theory of EverythingCultureSun, 08 Feb 2015 21:08:13 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/feb/08/eddie-redmayne-bafta-red-carpetRichard Peppiatt, Tom Jenkinson2015-02-08T21:08:13ZDavid Gulpilil: the lessons I learned from Charlie's Countryhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/australia-culture-blog/2015/feb/06/david-gulpilil-interview-charlies-country
<p>The Aacta award-winning actor on career longevity, working with the director Rolf de Heer and the importance of a close relationship with nature</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/australia-culture-blog/2015/feb/06/david-gulpilil-interview-charlies-country">Continue reading...</a>Australian filmFilmIndigenous AustraliansCultureFri, 06 Feb 2015 05:34:13 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/australia-culture-blog/2015/feb/06/david-gulpilil-interview-charlies-countryAlexandra Spring2015-02-06T05:34:13ZYann Demange: ‘There were 1,500 people in the cinema and I was overwhelmed’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/yann-demange-71-film-director-interview
<p>The director, who has a good chance of winning a Bafta this weekend for his debut, ’71 – says fame has been a shock, and why the film’s success felt like a gap year</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/yann-demange-71-film-director-interview">Continue reading...</a>'71Baftas 2015FilmDramaDramaTelevision & radioBaftasRace issuesCultureAwards and prizesTelevisionJack O'ConnellThu, 05 Feb 2015 17:36:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/yann-demange-71-film-director-interviewDamon Wise2015-02-05T17:36:10ZElaine Constantine: ‘You may have a shit job, but you iron your clothes and polish your shoes’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/elaine-constantine-interview-northern-soul
<p>Ahead of this Sunday’s Baftas, the outstanding newcomer nominee talks about the surprise success of her debut film, Northern Soul, and why the music and dance movement thrilled working-class kids in the 60s and 70s</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/elaine-constantine-interview-northern-soul">Continue reading...</a>Baftas 2015Northern SoulFilmNorthern soulSoulMusicCultureBaftasAwards and prizesThu, 05 Feb 2015 13:51:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/elaine-constantine-interview-northern-soulCharles Gant2015-02-05T13:51:10ZAmitabh Bachchan: My father watched my films for their 'poetic justice in two and a half hours’http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/03/amitabh-bachchan-bollywood-indian-cinema-shamitabh
<p>The Shamitabh star has a good claim to being the most famous actor in the world, after more than 40 years in cinema. He talks about his mistaken forays into politics and why he loves hosting the Indian Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/03/amitabh-bachchan-bollywood-indian-cinema-shamitabh">Continue reading...</a>BollywoodFilmCultureWed, 04 Feb 2015 10:06:59 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/03/amitabh-bachchan-bollywood-indian-cinema-shamitabhNikita Lalwani2015-02-04T10:06:59ZRed-carpet revolt? Get real, the Oscars will always be about the dresshttp://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/mar/02/oscars-red-carpet-revolt-will-never-happen-its-all-about-the-dress
Actresses and designers want publicity. This drives the Oscars obsession with fashion and it will never change <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/mar/02/oscars-red-carpet-revolt-will-never-happen-its-all-about-the-dress">Continue reading...</a>OscarsFashionLife and styleJulianne MooreFilmAngela LansburyFashion industryFilm industryMediaAwards and prizesOscars 2015Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:05:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/mar/02/oscars-red-carpet-revolt-will-never-happen-its-all-about-the-dressHadley Freeman2015-03-02T16:05:17ZScarlett Johansson: 'There is nothing strange or creepy about John Travolta'http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/scarlett-johansson-there-is-nothing-strange-or-creepy-about-john-travolta
<p>The subject of Travolta’s affections at the Academy Awards on Sunday has come to the defence of the star</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/scarlett-johansson-there-is-nothing-strange-or-creepy-about-john-travolta">Continue reading...</a>Scarlett JohanssonJohn TravoltaFilmCultureOscarsOscars 2015Awards and prizesFri, 27 Feb 2015 10:19:47 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/scarlett-johansson-there-is-nothing-strange-or-creepy-about-john-travoltaBen Child2015-02-27T10:19:47ZPatricia Arquette and the Hollywood pay gap: who's to blame?http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/patricia-arquette-hollywood-pay-gap-hillary-clinton
<p>Hillary Clinton has joined the actor’s call for equal pay, but in Hollywood there is confusion about the causes of the persistent gender disparity</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/patricia-arquette-hollywood-pay-gap-hillary-clinton">Continue reading...</a>Patricia ArquetteOscars 2015FilmFilm industryCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 20:43:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/patricia-arquette-hollywood-pay-gap-hillary-clintonRory Carroll2015-02-26T20:43:20ZIs Catch Me Daddy's street-casting an antidote to Britain's toff-actor problem?http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/is-catch-me-daddys-street-casting-antidote-to-britains-toff-actor-problem
<p>The stars of a gritty drama about a girl on the run from her father were spotted on the street. It’s a trail blazed by directors from Ken Loach to Shane Meadows, and has brought some of our most searing performances to the screen</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/is-catch-me-daddys-street-casting-antidote-to-britains-toff-actor-problem">Continue reading...</a>Catch Me DaddyDramaFilmShane MeadowsKen LoachEddie RedmayneOscars 2015CultureFilm industryBusinessThu, 26 Feb 2015 18:18:29 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/is-catch-me-daddys-street-casting-antidote-to-britains-toff-actor-problemSteve Rose2015-02-26T18:18:29ZThe Oscars: showcasing Hollywood’s generous sense of global obligationhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2015/feb/26/oscars-2015-hollywood-misplaced-sense-global-obligation
<p>What lessons can the Oscars of the travel industry or the Oscars of the golf service industry learn from Hollywood about making the world a better place?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2015/feb/26/oscars-2015-hollywood-misplaced-sense-global-obligation">Continue reading...</a>CelebrityLife and styleOscars 2015OscarsAwards and prizesFilmCultureThu, 26 Feb 2015 17:28:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2015/feb/26/oscars-2015-hollywood-misplaced-sense-global-obligationMarina Hyde2015-02-26T17:28:56ZEddie Redmayne couples up for Thomas the Tank Engine moviehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/eddie-redmayne-thomas-the-tank-engine-movie-ryan
<p>Oscar-winning actor to voice new engine Ryan, in next feature length spin-off from the popular kids’ train series of books and TV shows</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/eddie-redmayne-thomas-the-tank-engine-movie-ryan">Continue reading...</a>Eddie RedmayneOscars 2015OscarsThe Theory of EverythingChildren and teenagersAwards and prizesBooksCultureFilmUK newsJohn HurtTelevisionThu, 26 Feb 2015 11:44:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/26/eddie-redmayne-thomas-the-tank-engine-movie-ryanAndrew Pulver2015-02-26T11:44:14ZBirdman's Oscar triumph ruffles feathers in Italyhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/birdmans-oscar-triumph-ruffles-feathers-in-italy
<p>Italian press criticise last year’s Venice film festival jury for not awarding the Golden Lion to the Oscar-winning satire </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/birdmans-oscar-triumph-ruffles-feathers-in-italy">Continue reading...</a>BirdmanOscars 2015Venice film festival 2014OscarsAlejandro González IñárrituVenice film festivalA Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on ExistenceFilmCultureAwards and prizesFestivalsWed, 25 Feb 2015 10:48:35 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/birdmans-oscar-triumph-ruffles-feathers-in-italyBenjamin Lee2015-02-25T10:48:35ZBoyhood: The College Years - Richard Linklater considering shooting sequelhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/boyhood-the-college-years-richard-linklater-considering-shooting-sequel
<p>The director, whose coming-of-age drama failed to take home the expected haul at this year’s Oscars, has said he would like to revisit the character’s story at college</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/boyhood-the-college-years-richard-linklater-considering-shooting-sequel">Continue reading...</a>BoyhoodRichard LinklaterOscarsOscars 2015FilmCultureAwards and prizesWed, 25 Feb 2015 09:53:32 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/boyhood-the-college-years-richard-linklater-considering-shooting-sequelBen Child2015-02-25T09:53:32ZJohn Travolta's Idina Menzel face-grab at Oscars was 'rehearsed', says rephttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/john-travolta-idina-menzel-face-grab-oscars-rehearsed
<p>In one of the more awkward moments of the Oscar ceremony, the actor held Idina Menzel’s face as the pair presented the award for best original song</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/john-travolta-idina-menzel-face-grab-oscars-rehearsed">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsJohn TravoltaIdina MenzelFilmAwards and prizesCultureStageWed, 25 Feb 2015 09:29:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/25/john-travolta-idina-menzel-face-grab-oscars-rehearsedBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-02-25T09:29:50ZGuardian Australia culture podcast - the Lost in Aussiewood episodehttp://www.theguardian.com/culture/audio/2015/feb/24/australia-culture-podcast-lost-in-aussiewood-episode
The Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Baftas, the Aactas ... two film-savvy special guests join the Guardian Australia culture team to discuss the state of Australian film and awards dos more generally. Plus we nominate our top culture tips for March <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/audio/2015/feb/24/australia-culture-podcast-lost-in-aussiewood-episode">Continue reading...</a>Australian filmFilmCultureAacta awards 2015Oscars 2015Baftas 2015Golden Globes 2015Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:46:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/culture/audio/2015/feb/24/australia-culture-podcast-lost-in-aussiewood-episodeAlexandra Spring, Nancy Groves, Luke Buckmaster, Genevieve Clay-Smith and Miles Martignoni2015-02-24T22:46:00ZOscars 2015: match the star to the after-party quote – quizhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/quiz/2015/feb/24/oscars-2015-afterparty-quiz
It's possible – even likely – you didn't attend this year's Academy Awards after parties. Find out what bon mots you missed out on through our quiz, whose quotes were sourced from write ups of Sunday night's glitziest bashes <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/quiz/2015/feb/24/oscars-2015-afterparty-quiz">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsFilmCultureTue, 24 Feb 2015 13:50:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/quiz/2015/feb/24/oscars-2015-afterparty-quizBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-02-24T13:50:00ZEyewitness: Oscars 2015, Hollywood, USAhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/picture/2015/feb/24/eyewitness-oscars-2015-hollywood-usa
<p>Photographs from the Eyewitness series</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/picture/2015/feb/24/eyewitness-oscars-2015-hollywood-usa">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015Eddie RedmayneTue, 24 Feb 2015 11:08:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/world/picture/2015/feb/24/eyewitness-oscars-2015-hollywood-usaChris Pizzello/Invision/AP2015-02-24T11:08:17ZAfter Birdman's Oscars win, Guardians of the Galaxy director leads defence of superhero movieshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/after-birdmans-oscars-win-guardians-of-the-galaxy-director-leads-defence-of-superhero-movies
<p>James Gunn has spoken up for the genre in the wake of attacks by the likes of Jack Black – and the thrust of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s award-winning satire</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/after-birdmans-oscars-win-guardians-of-the-galaxy-director-leads-defence-of-superhero-movies">Continue reading...</a>Superhero moviesFilmCultureBirdmanOscars 2015OscarsAwards and prizesTue, 24 Feb 2015 11:06:47 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/after-birdmans-oscars-win-guardians-of-the-galaxy-director-leads-defence-of-superhero-moviesBen Child2015-02-24T11:06:47ZRussian film industry laments Leviathan's Oscar losshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/russian-film-industry-leviathan-oscars
<p>There is disappointment after Leviathan, victor at the Golden Globes, lost out to Pawel Pawlikowski’s film Ida in the best foreign film category at the Oscars</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/russian-film-industry-leviathan-oscars">Continue reading...</a>LeviathanOscars 2015OscarsFilmCultureAwards and prizesTue, 24 Feb 2015 10:10:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/russian-film-industry-leviathan-oscarsBen Beaumont-Thomas2015-02-24T10:10:20ZNeil Patrick Harris's Oscars stint achieves lowest ratings since 2009http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/neil-patrick-harris-oscars-lowest-ratings-since-2009
<p>Gone Girl star’s patchy hosting turn is watched by 16% fewer US viewers than last year, when Ellen DeGeneres’s celeb-packed selfie helped boost social media mentions<br></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/neil-patrick-harris-oscars-lowest-ratings-since-2009">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015CultureFilmOscarsNeil Patrick HarrisAwards and prizesUS newsTV ratingsMediaTelevision industryTue, 24 Feb 2015 09:00:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/24/neil-patrick-harris-oscars-lowest-ratings-since-2009Ben Child2015-02-24T09:00:09ZOscars 2015: full list of winnershttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-list-of-winners
<p>The 87th Academy Awards have now ended in Los Angeles. Here’s a list of the recipients in full</p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/22/oscars-2015-the-best-quotes-of-the-evening">‘Fear is the condom of life’: the very best Oscars 2015 quotes</a></p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-birdman-takes-flight-but-boyhood-suffers-growing-pains">Birdman takes flight but Boyhood suffers growing pains</a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-list-of-winners">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsAwards and prizesFilmCultureTue, 24 Feb 2015 04:10:28 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-2015-list-of-winnersGuardian Staff2015-02-24T04:10:28ZFifty Shades's 73% drop suggests box office one night stand, not commitment/film/2015/feb/25/global-box-office-fifty-shades-of-grey-dragon-blade-the-interview
<p>In this week’s instalment of our series tracking cinema’s worldwide winners …<br></p><p>• Fifty Shades of Grey drops 73% in the US, meaning Avatar’s record take is safe<br>• Jackie Chan’s Dragon Blade opens big in China but can it breakthrough abroad?<br>• The Interview haemorrhages theatrical revenue</p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/fifty-shades-of-grey">Fifty Shades</a> still has the global scene trussed up, but dramatic plunges from its opening weekend – -73% in the US (one of the largest falls on record) and -57% overseas – suggest that it has already exhausted its core audience, the EL James faithful, let alone any casuals pulled in by the furore. Strong repeat business looks beyond Sam Taylor-Johnson’s adaptation, which was cautiously praised as an effective damage-limitation exercise given the shortcomings of the source material. Universal played a blinder on the publicity front, with blanket coverage everywhere contributing to the mammoth, and in many ways historic, opening. The only comparable <a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/worldwideopenings.htm?sort=intlopen&amp;order=DESC&amp;p=.htm">international debuts</a> for original (to cinema) material are 2012 ($165.2m) and Avatar ($164.5m), both very different kinds of film; you have to go a long way down the list before you find anything similarly centred in human drama. Prospects-wise, Fifty Shades is no Avatar, which did a game-changing six consecutive $100+ overseas weekends - this is strict box-office wham-bam-thank-you-sir.<br /></p> <a href="/film/2015/feb/25/global-box-office-fifty-shades-of-grey-dragon-blade-the-interview">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureFifty Shades of GreyJackie ChanChinaUS newsWorld newsAsia PacificWill SmithPornographyMon, 01 Dec 2014 15:42:22 GMT/film/2015/feb/25/global-box-office-fifty-shades-of-grey-dragon-blade-the-interviewPhil Hoad2014-12-01T15:42:22ZClip joint: training montages/film/filmblog/2015/feb/16/clip-joint-training-montages
<p>Guardian reader Rachael Jones does the heavy lifting and picks her five favourite training montage scenes. Which would be on your list? </p><p>Parodied everywhere from South Park and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Robin Hood: Men in Tights, the training montage is an entertaining, oft-ridiculed cinematic trope. But when it works, it works: and here are five of the best.</p><p>(Disclaimer: the inclusion of training montages is in no way intended as a recommendation of the films in their entirety.) </p> <a href="/film/filmblog/2015/feb/16/clip-joint-training-montages">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureAction and adventureComedyMon, 01 Dec 2014 15:42:22 GMT/film/filmblog/2015/feb/16/clip-joint-training-montagesRachael Jones2014-12-01T15:42:22ZKill The Messenger: a murky meditation on modern media/film/2015/mar/02/kill-the-messenger-jeremy-renner
<p>Michael Cuesta’s magnificent newsroom thriller is more than just a throwback to the paranoid conspiracy films of the 70s</p><p>If I decide to call Michael Cuesta’s magnificent newsroom thriller <strong>Kill The Messenger</strong> the anti-All The President’s Men, it’s not merely because it also tells the true story of a tireless young investigative reporter following a vast conspiracy to its logical conclusion. It is because this lean and barbed low-budget drama is involved in a much more complex relationship with the 1970s “Paranoia Trilogy” of films by Alan Pakula and Gordon Willis.</p><p>Kill The Messenger, set in 1994-6, even opens in direct homage to The Parallax View: a door opens, a reporter stands outside, he gets invited in, and is present when police raid the building. Real-life reporter Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner, in a richly detailed performance) stumbles into a horrifying story about a gigantic, mid-1980s conspiracy by rogue elements of the CIA to flood America’s ghettos with Nicaraguan cocaine and use the profits to buy arms for the Contras. Webb follows the drug money, visits incarcerated drug lords (Michael K Williams, Andy Garcia) in California and Managua, asks lots of awkward questions, and is staggered to find himself warned off by the CIA in the name of “national security”.</p> <a href="/film/2015/mar/02/kill-the-messenger-jeremy-renner">Continue reading...</a>FilmCultureMon, 12 Jan 2015 10:31:21 GMT/film/2015/mar/02/kill-the-messenger-jeremy-rennerJohn Patterson2015-01-12T10:31:21ZMarisa Tomei: five best moments/film/filmblog/2015/feb/13/marisa-tomei-five-best-moments
<p>Though she launched her career in comedy, Tomei has grown into an accomplished dramatic actor. Which of her past performances are your favourites?</p><p>New Yorker Marisa Tomei has one of those film careers full of ups and downs. She gained recognition with an Oscar win early in her career, then followed it with a decade of mostly mediocre movies that didn’t display her full potential. The 21st century brought more promise in both powerful dramas and oddball comedies, before the Academy took notice of her again in 2008 for The Wrestler.</p><p>Tomei returns alongside John Lithgow and Alfred Molina in drama Love Is Strange, out on Friday in the UK, and released last summer in the US and Australia. Which of her performances would you add to this top five?</p> <a href="/film/filmblog/2015/feb/13/marisa-tomei-five-best-moments">Continue reading...</a>Marisa TomeiFilmCultureLove is StrangeComedyDramaComedyThe WrestlerMon, 01 Dec 2014 15:42:22 GMT/film/filmblog/2015/feb/13/marisa-tomei-five-best-momentsVirginia Cerezo2014-12-01T15:42:22ZMy Oscars adventure: parties, film cliques and selfies with Eddie Redmaynehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-adventure-parties-selfies-eddie-redmayne
<p>Is the Oscar ceremony as glamorous as it looks? Which losers dropped the brave smiles as soon as the cameras stopped rolling? And who refused to pose for a selfie? Our intrepid reporter reveals all</p><p>To go to the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles is a lot like – and I’ve thought about this a lot and there really is no other way to describe it – going to a bad barmitzvah. Sure, it’s a bit glitzier, generally bigger and there’s more chance that you’ll see Steve Martin than at your average Jewish festival, but the rudiments are the same.</p><p>There are the bizarrely dressed guests: sweetly, many of the female guests who are about as close to being nominated as I am like to come dressed as Oscar winners, circa 1987, replete with trains and occasional tiaras. You’d have to go to Disney World to see so many grown women wearing full-body princess dresses as you do in the Oscars audience. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-adventure-parties-selfies-eddie-redmayne">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015OscarsAwards and prizesFilmCultureCelebrityLife and styleMon, 23 Feb 2015 17:45:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/23/oscars-adventure-parties-selfies-eddie-redmayneHadley Freeman2015-02-23T17:45:37ZA stranger at the Baftas: who are all these aliens?http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/ewen-macaskill-citizenfour-documentary-stranger-at-awards
After landing a ‘bit part’ in the documentary Citizenfour, the Guardian’s defence correspondent found himself on the red carpet. Could he hack it?<p>There was not a lot of confidence that I would file anything from the Baftas a couple of weekends ago. I’d barely left the red carpet when Janine Gibson, deputy editor of the Guardian, tweeted: “Thrillingly, @ewenmacaskill, who is in a bafta nominated doc, is reporting from the show. He will recognise NO ONE.”</p><p>It was a joke, I think. But it felt like an accurate prediction as I wandered around the elaborately decorated tables at the post-awards dinner looking for someone to quote, trying to crib from table nameplates too small to read.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/from-burger-ads-to-oscar-nomination-the-phone-call">How two British short film-makers turned rejection into an Oscars nod</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/oscars-2015-peter-bradshaws-award-predictions">Oscars 2015: Peter Bradshaw’s awards predictions</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/nightcrawler-director-dan-gilroy-it-was-harrowing">Nightcrawler director Dan Gilroy: 'It was harrowing'</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/ewen-macaskill-citizenfour-documentary-stranger-at-awards">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmCultureCitizenfourBaftas 2015OscarsAwards and prizesBaftasThu, 19 Feb 2015 19:40:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/19/ewen-macaskill-citizenfour-documentary-stranger-at-awardsEwen MacAskill2015-02-19T19:40:00ZGet me 250 dogs going feral in Budapest: keeping it real in the face of SFX spectaclehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/12/250-dogs-feral-budapest-white-god-cgi-special-effects
<p>No CGI was harmed or even used in the making of Kornél Mundruczó’s new film White God. Steve Rose weighs up the believability of digital versus practical effects, from Ben-Hur to Star Wars</p><p>It wasn’t easy to find a leading actor for White God, admits director Korn&eacute;l Mundrucz&oacute;. The new movie’s central character, Hagen, has to make the emotional journey from gentle and lovable to violent and aggressive. “He had to be a bit like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. You had to be really comfortable with him when he was happy so that then you feel sorry for him when he goes wild. And I had to build the rest of the team under him, so he was crucial. The search took two months.”</p><p>All part of the casting process, perhaps – except that Hagen happens to be a dog. Not only that, he’s one of about 250 of them Mundrucz&oacute; had to cast, and coax into giving an effective ensemble performance. White God is the story of Hagen and his teenage owner, who are forcibly separated with harrowing consequences. Cast out on the streets, Hagen is reconditioned as a fighting dog before being rounded up with other “inferior” mongrel strays. In the movie’s most memorable scenes, this canine underclass rises up and rampages through the streets of Budapest en masse – a sight that’s both exhilarating and unsettling, like an apocalyptic Pedigree Chum ad.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/19/cannes-2014-review-white-god-dog-horror">Cannes 2014 review: White God - mad mutts as Hungary goes to the dogs</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/16/apocalypse-bow-wow-the-new-breed-of-arthouse-animal-horror">Apocalypse bow-wow: the new breed of arthouse animal horror</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/12/250-dogs-feral-budapest-white-god-cgi-special-effects">Continue reading...</a>White GodSpecial effectsAction and adventureScience fiction and fantasyFilm adaptationsFilmCultureFilm industryBusinessSteven SpielbergAnimal welfareAnimalsWorld newsThu, 12 Feb 2015 18:53:33 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/12/250-dogs-feral-budapest-white-god-cgi-special-effectsSteve Rose2015-02-12T18:53:33ZDavid Oyelowo takes the civil rights fight to the acting professionhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/13/david-oyelowo-takes-the-civil-rights-fight-to-the-acting-profession
<p>Actor who plays Martin Luther King in Selma was early voice on racial inequality on screen and stage, friends suggest</p><p>There’s a theatrical anecdote in which the wife of a leading performer advises a friend: “I wouldn’t come round for lunch on Sunday if I were you. He’s playing Stalin at the moment.”</p><p>In a more benevolent example of the phenomenon of actors overlapping with their characters, David Oyelowo, while promoting his role as the African-American civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King in the movie Selma, has become a leader of the fight for racial equality in his own profession. He complained that British TV’s lack of interest in telling “black stories” had forced him to work in America, while not sparing his adopted culture either, acknowledging “hurt” at the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/30/david-oyelowo-selmas-oscars-2015-snub-film-bothers">lack of recognition from the predominantly white Oscar voters for Selma</a>, including his own omission, despite adulatory reviews, from the 2015 Best Actor shortlist.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/30/david-oyelowo-selmas-oscars-2015-snub-film-bothers">David Oyelowo: Selma's Oscars snub 'bothers me'</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/01/david-oyelowo-selma-martin-luther-king-benedict-cumberbatch-interview">David Oyelowo: 'No one says to Oliver Stone: white characters AGAIN?'</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/29/what-selma-means-now">Ferguson, Selma and a mood for change</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/13/david-oyelowo-takes-the-civil-rights-fight-to-the-acting-profession">Continue reading...</a>David OyelowoCivil rights movementFilmEqualityCultureTheatreSelmaFri, 13 Feb 2015 13:50:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/13/david-oyelowo-takes-the-civil-rights-fight-to-the-acting-professionMark Lawson2015-02-13T13:50:50ZOscars 2015: who will win best director?http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/09/oscars-2015-best-director-inarritu-linklater
<p>This one’s going down to the wire, but Birdman’s Alejandro González Iñárritu is most likely to fly off with this year’s top directing prize ahead of Boyhood’s Richard Linklater</p><p>Conventional Oscar wisdom has it that the best director award goes hand-in-hand with the night’s top prize: “How can the best-directed film not be the best film?” is the question asked by many, and while such an argument undersells the contribution of writers, producers and many others to the finished product, category statistics prove the Academy usually feels the same way.</p><p>For the past two years running, however, that logic has been upended – Ang Lee and Alfonso Cuar&oacute;n the beneficiaries of the first consecutive splitting of the awards since 1951/52. You have to go back to the 1930s to find three mismatches in a row, but in a season where key precursor awards (including last weekend’s Baftas and Directors Guild of America awards) have demonstrated significant differences in opinion, such an outcome seems entirely possible.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/06/oscars-2015-who-will-win-best-actress">Oscars 2015: who will win best actress?</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/09/oscars-2015-best-director-inarritu-linklater">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmOscarsAwards and prizesBaftas 2015Alejandro González IñárrituRichard LinklaterWes AndersonThe Grand Budapest HotelBirdmanBoyhoodFoxcatcherThe Imitation GameCultureMon, 09 Feb 2015 17:29:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/feb/09/oscars-2015-best-director-inarritu-linklaterGuy Lodge2015-02-09T17:29:12ZStarry, starry night: Oscar winners on Hollywood’s biggest prizehttp://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2015/feb/07/starry-starry-night-oscar-winners-on-hollywoods-biggest-prize
<p><strong>Susan Sarandon thinks it’s the luck of the draw, Juliette Binoche tussled with Lauren Bacall, and someone stood on Ben Kingsley’s head: 14 Oscar winners reveal what really goes on at the Academy Awards</strong><br></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2015/feb/07/starry-starry-night-oscar-winners-on-hollywoods-biggest-prize">Continue reading...</a>Oscars 2015FilmAwards and prizesCultureSusan SarandonAlfonso CuarónLauren BacallJuliette BinocheFilm industryBen KingsleyAngela LansburyOscarsSteve McQueenSat, 07 Feb 2015 08:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2015/feb/07/starry-starry-night-oscar-winners-on-hollywoods-biggest-prizeInterviews by Abigail Radnor, Rosie Ifould, Simon Hattenstone and Hadley Freeman; portraits by Pål Hansen, Chris Buck, Roberto Frankenberg, Reed Young and John Lee; produced by Troy Griggs and Daan Louter2015-02-07T08:00:03ZFrom Tilda Swinton to Tina Fey: who channels their inner Katharine Hepburn?http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/katharine-hepburn-tilda-swinton-tina-fey-bfi
<p>Some unlikely actors have been inspired by the Oscar-winning icon. As the BFI launches a retrospective, we pick our favourites</p><p>In a slew of romantic and screwball comedies of the 1930s and 40s, Katharine Hepburn defied convention by playing women who were independent, forthright and unruly. She had the audacity to behave that way off-screen, too. Myth and nostalgia would have you believe she was unique, but she has spawned many kindred spirits working today. Less the manic pixie such as Zooey Deschanel or Kirsten Dunst, or feisty beauties such as Penelope Cruz or Jennifer Lawrence, or even scatty navel-gazers such as Greta Gerwig or Lena Dunham. Here are 10 Hollywood actors who have channelled Hepburn’s chutzpah, and whose shtick wouldn’t exist without her.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/katharine-hepburn-tilda-swinton-tina-fey-bfi">Continue reading...</a>Katharine HepburnTilda SwintonMeryl StreepCate BlanchettBarbra StreisandTina FeyAnna KendrickRebecca HallDiane KeatonCultureFilmThu, 05 Feb 2015 18:08:51 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/katharine-hepburn-tilda-swinton-tina-fey-bfiIsabel Stevens2015-02-05T18:08:51ZFifty Shades of Grey: sex scenes make up a fifth of filmhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/02/fifty-shades-of-grey-sex-scenes
<p>Film adaptation reportedly has more sex than all the 18-rated movies in 2014 put together, making it the raunchiest in over a decade</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/02/fifty-shades-of-grey-sex-scenes">Continue reading...</a>Fifty Shades of GreyFilmFifty Shades of GreySam Taylor-JohnsonEL JamesCultureMon, 02 Feb 2015 11:22:22 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/02/fifty-shades-of-grey-sex-scenesBen Child2015-02-02T11:22:22ZCan Marvel save Spider-Man from his tangled web of sequels?http://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2015/feb/10/can-marvel-save-spider-man-from-web-of-sequels-captain-america-3
News that Spidey is due to show up in next year’s Captain America 3 might be enough for fans to put up with another reboot <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2015/feb/10/can-marvel-save-spider-man-from-web-of-sequels-captain-america-3">Continue reading...</a>Spider-ManSuperhero moviesFilmMarvelCultureTue, 10 Feb 2015 18:26:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2015/feb/10/can-marvel-save-spider-man-from-web-of-sequels-captain-america-3Alex Godfrey2015-02-10T18:26:10ZOur pick of 2015's most exciting sci-fi and fantasy filmshttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/06/week-in-geek-2015-most-exciting-sci-fi-fantasy-films-jurassic-world-star-wars
<p>From big franchises such as Mad Max and Jurassic World to the best forthcoming animations and the return of Arnie, there’s much to get fans fired up this year</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/06/week-in-geek-2015-most-exciting-sci-fi-fantasy-films-jurassic-world-star-wars">Continue reading...</a>CultureFilmAvengers: Age of UltronTerminator: GenisysScience fiction and fantasyInside OutStar Wars: The Force AwakensAnt-ManJupiter AscendingTue, 06 Jan 2015 08:07:57 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/06/week-in-geek-2015-most-exciting-sci-fi-fantasy-films-jurassic-world-star-warsBen Child2015-01-06T08:07:57ZMo'Nique says she was 'blackballed' by Lee Daniels after Oscar win for Precioushttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/monique-blackballed-by-lee-daniels-after-precious-oscar-win
<p>Director wanted to teach her a lesson after she failed to thank him on awards night, claims actor</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/monique-blackballed-by-lee-daniels-after-precious-oscar-win">Continue reading...</a>Lee DanielsCultureFilmPreciousFilm industryOscarsOscars 2010Tue, 03 Mar 2015 11:24:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/03/monique-blackballed-by-lee-daniels-after-precious-oscar-winBen Child2015-03-03T11:24:45Z